Auto Rickshaw

, India. Auto rickshaws are one of the most popular means of public transportation in urban India.]]

version of the Auto rickshaw]]

An auto rickshaw ('''auto''' or ''' Rickshaw ''' or '''tempo''' in popular parlance) is a Vehicle For Hire that is one of the chief modes of Transport in India , Pakistan , Nepal , Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and is popular in many other countries. It is a Motor ized version of the traditional Rickshaw , a small two- or three-wheeled cart pulled by a person, and the Velotaxi . The auto rickshaw is also related to its Thai cousin, the ''' Tuk-tuk ''' and the '''Bajaj''' in Indonesia .

VEHICLE OVERVIEW

An auto rickshaw is generally characterized by a tin/iron body resting on three small wheels (one in front, two on the rear), a small cabin for the driver (called an ''auto-wallah'' in some areas) in the front and seating for three in the rear.
''Autos'' are generally fitted with a Motorcycle version of a Two-stroke Engine with a handlebar for control (again like motorcycles) instead of a Steering wheel, effectively making them a three-wheeler motorcycle carrying passengers on the rear seat. The earlier versions of autos had the engine in front; current versions are an improvement, and have it in the rear. However, the former version has still not become extinct. In North India, there is a variation, powered by a Harley-Davidson engine, called the ''phat-phati'' because of the sound it makes. However this is almost extinct because of the amount of pollution it causes.
Safety is a major concern regarding auto rickshaws. Their flimsy chassis makes them dangerous to passengers even in accidents that are far from severe. They are also not well-equipped to protect their passengers from rain, air pollution or extremes of temperature.
Auto rickshaws are extremely light vehicles considering their capacity. When they break down, only two or three drivers are required to fully lift them off the ground and they can be easily pushed by one driver.

AUTO RICKSHAWS IN INDIA

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A majority of Indian auto rickshaws have no doors or Seatbelt s. They are generally black or green in colour and have a yellow roof on the top. However the design normally depends on the location (state) of the patrol, and so does the color. For example the sides of an auto in Delhi are green, while in Banglore they are yellow. Their design varies considerably from place to place. In some locations, they have an extra plank on the seat to accommodate a fourth passenger. In reality it is not uncommon to see 6-8 passengers in an auto rickshaw with such an ''ad hoc'' setup, although, in theory, ''autos'' risk fines for carrying more than three passengers in many places. Auto rickshaws that are used for driving children to school have two extra seats/planks like narrow ledges, one facing the main seating space and one to the side. Such auto rickshaws may transport up to 20 children to school.

In India, it is common to find a mechanic's shop around every corner, thus allowing auto-wallahs easy access to spot-repairs. As a mode of transport, the auto rickshaw is turning out to be a major employer in India. Many graduate youths drive auto rickshaws. All major Nationalized Bank s of India offer loans to buy one under self-employment schemes. Major Auto rickshaw manufacturers in India are Bajaj Auto , Piaggio Greaves , Force Motors (previously ''Bajaj Tempo''), Atul Auto and Kerala Automobiles. A two-wheeler major, TVS Motor Co., has announced it will enter the auto rickshaw market with a technologically updated and a less polluting vehicle, in early 2006. Not restricted to cities, auto rickshaws are also prevalent in large numbers in Indian villages and in the countryside.

In rush traffic many autos can be found waiting to be hired. There is an initial charge at the beginning of a ride then the price normally increases by .5 rupees. It is manditory that the initial charge set at a value given by the government. The horns on the rickshaws sound like a duck quacking. For rainy conditions, some autos have plastic coverings.

Fuel efficiency and pollution

-run autorickshaws are usually black and yellow in colour.]]
In July 1998, the Supreme Court Of India ordered the Delhi government to implement CNG or LPG Fuel for all autos and for the entire bus fleet in and around the city. Delhi observed a dramatic improvement in the quality of air with the switch to CNG, and this is important for a city where it is not uncommon to see pedestrians and drivers wearing nurse's masks for protection against the prevalent city smog. Now, auto-wallahs in Delhi have to wait in long queues to get their CNG cylinders re-filled. Certain other local governments are also pushing for Four-stroke Engine s instead of the current two-stroke versions.

Traffic issues

Auto rickshaws have a top-speed of around 50 Km/h (about 31 mph) and a cruising speed of around 35 km/h (22 mph). Traffic authorities in big cities have implemented different mechanisms to circumvent the resulting traffic slow-down issues. Autos are also banned from plying in the older, more crowded areas of Mumbai , south of Bandra. Some arterial roads of Chennai have a separate lane earmarked for autos and slow two-wheelers, though scant regard is generally paid to lane markings. The triangular form of the auto also makes maneuvering easy, with the front single wheel negotiating the available gap, and the rear two wheels forcing a larger space.

Hiring

Autos have to install a Taximeter according to laws in various parts of India. Many do not have one, however, and even among those that do, some drivers refuse to turn them on. Hiring an auto often involves Bargaining with the driver. But auto-wallahs across India are often accused of fleecing money by installing faulty meters, taking a longer route to the destination and demanding multiple times the fare early in the morning or late at night, or at times when other means of transport are not available. Fares can also double if the destination is an isolated place (charge for returning empty). Auto-wallahs generally defend themselves against such accusations by blaming the government for its negligence of market realities while fixing the distance-based fares. Passengers unfamiliar with the local language are considered particularly vulnerable to overcharging. Cities like Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode in the Kerala state of India have made strict regulations to install Fare-Meters in auto rickshaws. Every new auto entering their streets is required by law to install a digital fare meter to avoid the kind of manipulation with the older mechanical Fare-Meters.

In cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata , Chennai, Pune , Hyderabad and Bangalore , traffic-regulating authorities have tried to implement pre-paid schemes where the passengers pay pre-determined auto-fares (depending on the destination) to some central authority and board the autos. However, it is still far more common for a prospective passenger to simply flag down a rickshaw and negotiate a price without an intermediary official (for reasons like non-availability of prepaid autos at all locations and not wanting to queue up for a long time at the counter.)

EXTERNAL LINKS

Autorickshaw Art is a blog that captures the art (pictures) on the backs of rickshaws.

Information About

Auto Rickshaw