PRIVATE CONVEYANCE –A HUGE SHIFT

 PRIVATE CONVEYANCE –A HUGE SHIFT

Much of what comes may be amusing to the present day youth, as what we re-visit here are items unknown or unheard of  now in the Indian society for quite some time with no relics either to show them as evidence. Many have disappeared from our vicinity by sheer efflux of time. It looks that those are ‘not to return’ anytime in our life or society. Several of those items appear in our mind as ‘things of the past’.

Fuel-driven vehicles were few and far between. So, people were engaging animal-drawn carts, such as Bullocks/ Horse. A family of 4 or5 with their baggage were ferried between railway stations and houses or vice-versa. For a distance of 3-4 kms, those conveyance systems used to take 12- 20 minutes depending on the animal used. Those cart men had to get the municipal licence, paying annual tax to the local authority. The agency used to provide a metal plate [badge] bearing a regn. Number and and time over which the piece would be valid with an engraving ‘Hackney Driver’. Unless the badge was worn, the person [driver] was liable for punishment and confiscation of the badge , disqualifying him from any further operation  of such conveyance of men and material. There was seriousness about every system involving public activity. Police were all powerful and could not be brought to oblige our requirements. Even legislators would not ‘command’ them –unlike the norm now. In Chennai, man-drawn rickshaws were used to transport 1 or 2 persons over short distances of 2-3 kilometers. Chennai also had Tram services which used to run on rails laid along the centre of the road being used by cars buses, Taxis and other automobiles.

Interestingly, Taxis were in use even then; in Egmore railway station Taxis used to off load passengers on to platform 4. It was a convenient arrangement for passengers to get into train without mustering the services of Porters. Later it was discontinued.

In all other towns carts or  Cycle-rickshaws were a  popular option for local transit within the town and the animal-drawn carts were losing patronage as  town bus services to railway stations and bus terminals were introduced.

In select towns Southern Railway had an out Agency service whereby train passengers arriving to a town would be transported in to the town by a special facility called SR OA which used to collect a nominal amount with the railway ticket fare and issue a ticket which was accepted by the road transport agency. Such a service was available in Karaikkudi for train passengers; the buses would also entertain other commuters if there were vacancies in the bus. I remember the same facility did exist in select towns in Tamil Nadu. Slowly such passenger-friendly arrangements were withdrawn by the agencies concerned. Gradually, Cycle rickshaws were edged out by Auto rickshaws by virtue of the faster transit in the latter. Now all railway station premises have a menacing population of Auto rickshaws vying with one another to corner an opportunity to pick up passengers and do not even permit the passengers to weigh the option  of choosing a vehicle.

All the time, Taxis have been plying in all towns and cities; some 10-15 years ago taxis were mostly White Ambassador cars followed by Fiat. In Mumbai, for ages Fiat cars were the most popular Taxis; now all car brands operate as Taxis. Taxi services have witnessed advanced trends like using booked taxis operating under some trade names and based on the ‘distance to be travelled’ the agency fixes up an approximate fare and informs the commuter of the vehicle details, driver details and the approximate time of arrival to the address. Such services are quite popular across all towns and cities for avoiding protracted arguments.

In addition to these, some towns/ cities have two wheeler lending facility by which one can borrow a 2 wheeler and hand it over at an address near our destination by a mutual agreement. It helps single persons to reach destinations at a nominal cost and get quickly transported. We always have noticed complete elimination of certain modes of operation just by the new facility’s arrival or availability.                                     

Prof. K. Raman