Mammoth Trap....

One of the India’s most humble forms of public transport is also one of India’s most dangerous, unreliable, uncomfortable, inefficient and very often the easiest to break traffic laws with. It’s prominently visible in every towns, cities and even in rural areas of India. This mode of transport we very often ridicule and abuse but it is one that we can never do without. If ever incidentally there gets a strike called by that one association, millions celebrate with a smile of relief on their faces that the roads will be left by with sufficient spaces to drive on. Millions more complain that they will never ever be able to get anywhere on time, if they can ever get there at all. I refer to the ubiquitous autorickshaws or as it is simply called auto or rickshaw.

The concept of the rickshaws probably made its debut in China, where in a bygone era people would cart others in a hand drawn carriage. The concept must have traveled across to India thanks to Chinese traders, most probably to Bengal, where the tradition is so deeply rooted you still see hand-drawn carriages even today. It wouldn’t stop me from saying auto’s have gone through so many facelifts that even Volkswagen Beetle haven’t gone through. Even the most contemporary design today still cannot fit more than three. That brings me to engross on the comfort features. Today’s rickshaws is still open to the elements on most sides. “Who needs a convertible in India..??”

The rickshaws offers the same wind in your hair.And when it rains, it pours. Despite the thin plastic flaps, there is no way to fasten them. So heavy rains ensure even the middle occupant would get drenched. The rain brings another complexity, that of visibility. Now some well built, industry made rickshaws do possess a motorised wipers. Most others will utilise a hand operated and still others who think they can save a few bucks more will carry a cloth, just reach out and wipe whenever the need arises. Now dragging attention towards safety and structural norms, you see the body of the rickshaw is a frame made of the metal tubes, layered over with a thin and poor quality plastic and with a windshield madeof glass. I have never heard of any rickshaw crash norms, so just how effectively it sustains a crash is just anybody's guess. God knows... . No grab rails and wide open entry point ensures the ease of falling out during a sharp cornering. But that really should not matter since these rickshaws are usually packed more than they should have been, which means they can't really go too fast.Even if you fall off, it would possibly hurt you out at these slow speeds unless a car behind runs you over.With an engine that displaces not more than 0.2 L and puts out not more than 8-9bhps you cant really go too fast. At full throttle, it gets up to the loudest thing on the road,loud enough to distract you even if you have stocked yourself in a Q7.

Whatever so may it be. It's been the most economical, easy to access, effective means of transport since years. The concept of auto-rickshaws has been serving Indian citizen since around 3 decades.