(Audrey) After a full day of running around Delhi via all sorts of modes of transportions—including subway, car, auto rickshaw, and cycle rickshaw—I’d like to briefly reflect on the superiority of the cycle-wallah as compared to the auto-wallah.
Auto rickshaws in Delhi look like this—
The ride in the auto is fine enough. You get the breeze on your face, which is only marred by the awful air pollution in southern Delhi (insert 3 cheers here for the vastly superior air quality of Rohini); the autos are supposedly good for the environment because they run on CNG (some other time, Thane or I will give our skeptical critique of this claim, but anyways), and they’re fast enough to keep up with car traffic in the city. My problem, really, is with the auto drivers. These guys never use the meter, despite such being the law. Moreover, they always try, usually successfully, to rip off foreigners. Just today I had one such auto-wallah agree to one price only to claim it was higher when we actually arrived at my destination. Our subsequent “discussion” drew a good crowd and a good bout of me yelling in Hindi (it’s actually really difficult to speak a second language when you’re angry, so I may have been incomprehensible). After everything, the chor still cost me extra money.
In contrast, the cycle rickshaw is a lovely way to travel. This pic wasn’t taken by me, but it shows the general feel—
The cycle-wallahs are far poorer than the auto-wallahs. Often they are from nearby villages and will come in during farming off season. There’s generally a lot more of them as well on the streets, so I can name a fair price within reason and somebody will take me up on it. Their work is hard, pedaling on bikes with passengers in tow. They literally push their weight back and forth from pedal to pedal to keep going. Often foreigners feel uncomfortable taking them, but my argument is that not giving them business is hardly helping them at all… besides, in my experience they are generally truly nice, hard-working guys. Traveling on cycles goes at a slow pace, but it makes one appreciate the speed of our world anew.
September 15, 2009 at 1:56 am |
Very interesting. I’d so love to see you arguing with the auto-wallah. Next time ask someone to video you…
lol
What’s up with Thane? He seems buried in work or something?
November 18, 2009 at 8:20 am |
[...] written elsewhere on this blog about cycle rickshaws and my general support of them (although I confess that due to a series of [...]
December 19, 2009 at 7:06 am |
Audrey,
Consider the following.
A CNG auto rickshaw costs between $ 8000 – $8500 to own. Most of the auto drivers you see on the road are either plying hired autos or ones that are mortgaged to various financiers from whom these drivers have taken loans for buying their autos. In either case, the daily earnings after cost of the average auto driver are not much above subsistence levels. If the guy charges you according to the metre, he will most probably go hungry for the day. A person who owns and drives an auto will get by on metred rates but that is not the case for most who either have to pay a hefty daily rental or save for their EMIs to avoid repossesion.
The type of argument you had is common but not for the reason that you had it. The haggling is over once the fare is agreed to prior to commencement of the journey. One odd black sheep do not give us the licence to tar all with the same brush.
Regardig the “greenness” of CNG as a fuel, it certainly is greener than gasoline but not as clean as human muscle power. Wikipedia being quoted:-
“Due to the absence of any lead or benzene content in CNG, the lead fouling of spark plugs is eliminated. CNG-powered vehicles have lower maintenance costs when compared with other fuel-powered vehicles. CNG fuel systems are sealed, which prevents any spill or evaporation losses. Increased life of oils is another advantage. Other practical advantage observed is the increased life of lubricating oils, as CNG does not contaminate and dilute the crankcase oil. CNG mixes easily and evenly in air being a gaseous fuel. CNG is less likely to auto-ignite on hot surfaces, since it has a high auto-ignition temperature (540 °C) and a narrow range (5%-15%) of inflammability. [12]
“CNG produces significantly lesser emissions of pollutants like carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrocarbons(UHC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter (PM), as compared to petrol . For example, an engine running on petrol for 100kms emits 22,000 grams of CO2, while covering the same distance on CNG emits only 16,275 grams of CO2. The corresponding figures are 78 and 25.8 grams respectively, for nitrogen oxides. Carbon monoxide emissions are reduced even further. Due to lower carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions, switching to CNG can help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions[12]”
Also, a final piece of advice (such an ‘Indian’ habit, na?) We are better advised to use our linguistic abilities to talk to people rather than argue with them. We might even learn something and be rid of certain prejudices.
December 19, 2009 at 11:47 am |
(Audrey) Perhaps it’s true that many auto-wallahs are living on the edge. I certainly don’t want to make them out to be rich. Of course, in Delhi this may be a little different… Anyone who has ever spent time in the city has had the experience of naming the standard price (above the meter rate, as usual) and having the auto-wallah turn them down. Why? Simply put, that’s out of their way, and they don’t want to go there. That’s good and well, but it does illustrate perhaps a certain standard of living and financial means, if not stability, that most cycle-wallahs lack. In contrast, I have never had a cycle-wallah refuse to go somewhere, no matter where, how far, anytime day or night.
So far as your final piece of advice—as accustomed as I am to being patronized by Indian men, I don’t take particularly kindly to it. In fact, that’s part of what prompted me to write my original post—attitude. Say what you will about the money, pollution, etc. I like a positive, respectful attitude with my transport services, and I’m more likely to get it from cycle-wallahs, in my personal, subjective experience.