The auto rikshaw-vallahs in Pune have decided to go on strike yet again….for God-knows-what reason! They give us poor commuters a hard time even when they are not on strike, by charging exorbitant fare (wonder why is that called "fair"; when it's so unfair), meter tampering, rash driving or simply refusing to take you where you want go.

Yours truly has often been the target of foul language and even attempts of physical assault by these rik-vallahs, when she has refused to pay more than legitimate fare. Now you would ask why do I use riks for commuting, if I have had such a bad experience with them? Well, my answer until yesterday would have been: scarcity, if not total lack, of alternative means of commuting.

Of course, there are PMT/PCMT buses running on most city routes, but they rarely run on time. There are six-seaters, but they are always "overloaded" and cover a short distance. So if you have to travel from your suburban home to work (a distance of roughly 10.5 KM) everyday, you have to hire a rik even if it's a costly, sometimes humiliating, experience. And that's just what I though…until today.

Today, due to rik-strike, I was forced to reconsider my opinion about city buses and six-seaters. As I already knew of the strike from the newspapers when I left for work today, I hailed a six-seater. The riks were conspicuous by their absence. Though it was over-crowded, the six-seater took me to the nearest "stand" for a princely sum of Rs. 5/-. From there, after waiting for 10 minutes I caught another six-seater, which took me to University Circle, again for Rs. 5/-.

Things became easier from University Circle as lots of buses pass from here. And within couple of minutes of getting down from six-seater, I caught a bus that took me to Corporation stop. Hardly 10 minutes afterward I was on another bus, which took me straight to a stop bang opposite my workplace.

Total fare for the journey (six-seater + bus) Rs. 20/- (unbelievable, I'd have to pay at least Rs. 70/- for rik for the same distance). The only problem is time taken for journey, 1.25 hrs. I was late by 0.5 hrs for work. But as my boss consoled me, "Better late than never" . Today, I was lucky to quickly catch six-seaters / buses one after the other. Tomorrow I might have to wait half an hour waiting for the bus.

But today I am happy that I was able to give the riks a miss, and travel cheaply around the city. The lesson I learnt: if you have time and patience, you'll get around Pune easily using the buses and six-seaters.

So rik-vallahs of Pune, go on!!! Have a prolonged strike! You guys won't be missed!!!

Tags: auto rikshaw, rik, fare, strike, bus, six-seater, commuter, pune, travel