Autowallahs
Imagine a utopian India where public transport is solved, and so good that nobody even thinks of using a personal vehicle anymore. What would happen to autowallahs?
I know we all dislike auto drivers, mostly because of their extortion tactics. But they do get you places faster. There's no denying that.
Rapido in Chennai is an excellent service. You can get an auto anywhere within five minutes. It's that good. And yet every other auto driver will ask for an extra 20 rupees. If you can afford it, it's a no-brainer. But for those of us who need to save every rupee, and that's most of us, the demand is really irritating.
I'm sure they could justify the hikes by blaming inflation, and they wouldn't be wrong. Still, we expect them to be honest and use the meter to get us to our destination.
I can't remember the last time I sat in an auto and heard the meter click into action. It might have been a decade ago.
We expect auto drivers to put in an honest day's work without extorting anyone. I'm not sure that's enough for them, though. Even so, it doesn't give them licence to demand exorbitant fares from passengers.
As long as public transport stays inefficient, autos will exist, and they'll keep asking for more than the estimated fare.