Chennai’s transport system is the envy of most visitors to the State. The city has all modes of transport, from suburban trains to Metro Rail. The taxi cabs, share autorickshaws and, most recently, the on-call two-wheeler drop services, make up the entire gamut of facilities.
However, the most ubiquitous of these are the autorickshaws, and yet they have grown in a path riddled with struggles; though they are a law unto themselves, they have earned people’s patronage.
Autorickshaws were introduced in the early 1970s, says V. Sriram in his book Chennai. Initially, they were allowed to carry just two passengers. According to a report in The Hindu on November 21, 1983, the Transport Department permitted the vehicles to carry three passengers as they were violating the two-passenger norm on the sly. The report also urged the authorities to address the fleecing of passengers. It called for displaying fare cards at the Central Railway Station and the airport to help passengers. The report referred to a practice in Ernakulam in Kerala that could be followed in Chennai as well.
Widening their reach
By the late 1970s, autorickshaws began to transport schoolchildren. The practice of packing dozens of children and their oversized school bags resulted in activists demanding action against the erring autorickshaw drivers. Autorickshaw drivers continue to crowd their vehicles, pointing out that their livelihood is hurt every time petrol prices rise.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, when ambulances were scarce, autorickshaws were the trusted vehicles that would transport an expecting mother to the hospital, free of cost. The mode of transport gained much respect as more of these vehicles sported messages that they would ferry expecting mothers safely and free of cost to the hospital. The association of the autorickshaw with Chennai’s own beloved Superstar Rajinikanth in the hit film Baasha has probably done wonders for the belief that the people of Madras think of the autorickshaw as their own.
After ruling the roads for nearly three decades and having developed a love-hate relationship with its faithful clientele (who continue to complain about being overcharged to date), autorickshaws faced stiff competition from call taxis in the 1990s.
The autorickshaw drivers’ unions continued their feud with the customers, however. Periodically, the fares were raised. The menace of overcharging and fleecing passengers remains. The city has around 1 lakh autorickshaws at present. Around 70% would be owned by the drivers and 30% are hired, according to autorickshaw drivers’ unions.
In 2013, the Supreme Court directed the State government to fix fares for autorickshaws, and in August that year, the government prepared a chart. Autorickshaw drivers installed meters and began using them. For a few months, the going was smooth. With the petrol prices rising, the drivers were back to haggling over rates.
Competition from share autorickshaws made it difficult for autorickshaw drivers to stay afloat. Swetha S., who works in a private company in the city, said: “I don’t mind sharing a ride with a few others. That way instead of arguing endlessly with an autorickshaw driver I will get by.”
The big setback
Perhaps the biggest blow was the introduction of ride aggregator apps in 2013. Ola and Uber introduced the concept of hiring a ride comfortably from people’s mobile phones. Just when autorickshaws found themselves being edged out, the apps included them as well. The autorickshaws’ growth has slowed considerably. During the same time, autorickshaws shifted to using gas as fuel, and this change brought in a new set of loyal customers.
Their happiness was short-lived, however. According to M. Sivaji, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Auto Drivers’ Federation, “On average a driver could expect to earn around ₹300 to ₹500 a day. A lucky person might earn twice that amount. Our unions have been protesting for the past few months, demanding a fare revision,” he said.
For the past year, the unions have been petitioning the government. “It has been 10 years since the last revision. We would like the government to fix a reasonable rate as we have to pay house rent and tend to our families,” he added.
The initial excitement over the apps has given way to disappointment. The aggregators gave drivers incentives such as a cellphone and commissions. There were also increments every month. Now, the aggregators take as much as 30% for the trips made, Mr. Sivaji said.
According to him, only 20% of autorickshaw drivers continue to be associated with the ride aggregators.
Be that as it may, the black-yellow three-wheelers summoned via app or hailed on the road — haggling, overcharging, fleecing, and all — one thing is certain, the autorickshaw isn’t going anywhere and, without it, neither are Chennaites.
