My Experiment with Chennai Road Transport

I am always overawed by the huge variety of vehicles in chennai. Autos, share autos in all shapes and sizes, a variety of cars, buses, two wheelers, call taxis, trucks, load vans, and the list goes on. In Madurai, that is where I come from, I would have seen a few buses, a lot of cycles and tricycles, some share autos and very few cars. We rarely get to see Audis and BMWs as we see in Chennai.

Back in 2006, I came to Chennai in search of a job. As I had no own vehicle I had no other choice but to take the buses. That was my first experiment. In Chennai, the bus stops are too big and long and I often get confused on where to stand. More than me it is the bus drivers who are erratic. Once I was standing in the Saidapet bus stop waiting for 5A bus to go to velachery. I was standing right near the board which displays the numbers of the buses. The 5A bus arrived and all the people started running towards the bus. I got scared whether they were either trying to hit the bus or attempting a mass suicide.  All the people got into the bus on running itself, and then the bus stopped twenty feet away from me. Before I could run and catch the bus, it left. Me not being PT Usha, missed the bus. So From then on I have learnt to get onto a running bus or stand twenty feet away from the bus stop.

The next experiment came with the share autos. I come from Porur. To come to office, I have to take share autos from porur to guindy. From guindy, I have to take M119 bus to reach SRP tools. I was amazed by the very first fact that the van like structures called TATA ACE is called as share autos here. The share auto drivers are very patient people. They will not budge until the very last seat in the share auto is occupied. So I make it a point to always get into an auto that has only one seat left.

One day, I got into a share auto which had only one seat left and the auto started off to guindy. But luck didn’t favour me. At DLF IT park, except me all the 8 people got down from the auto. Both the share auto driver and me were very very disappointed.

As I knew he will not move, I got down from the auto and started shouting “ guindy, guindy”. The driver was shocked and was staring at me. Fortunately, the share auto got occupied and then he moved and I reached guindy.

At guindy, there is a line of M119s parked. I got into the bus in which the bus driver and conductor got in. The driver started the bus and was roaring. All the people in the bus stop rushed into the bus, fought for the seat and was happily settled. Then the bus moved a few inches and then stopped.  The driver and the conductor got down and went away. When I was confused on what went wrong, the bus standing right next to the one I am sitting started and was roaring. Now all the people in my bus, got down and went on to catch that bus and left.

Actually this bus had moved so as to pave way for the one standing behind. Feeling so deceived and irate, I got down and then hired an auto.

Now, my third experience came next.

I told him “Anna, SRP tools, taramani”. “OH , ascendas ah?, “ NO no, SRP tools bus stop, anna”. I had to argue with him to switch on his meter box. He became so irated. He said “Ok, then you have to give me 20 rs extra”. I reluctantly gave in and said OK. He started the auto and when we were crossing Phoenix mall, the auto was bumping so badly. I didn’t know whether it was due to the bad roads or he was angry on me. The auto was bumping so heavily that I was clinging on to my dear life. When I reached office, I was happy that I was in a one whole piece. 

From all my experiments I have understood that the best way to get around the city is to perhaps have a two wheeler and stay near to office.