Bengaluru mobility challenge: Bumpy ride ahead for autorickshaws

Decades ago, they gave the world their authoritative ‘one-and-a-half’ stamp on the meter. Years before everyone else progressed, they gave Bengalureans a taste of surcharge and route bargain. Today, under the collective onslaught of app-based cabs and bikes, can the ubiquitous autorickshaw remain relevant?

For most Bengalureans, the rickshaws once spelt ‘luxury,’ a pricey yet affordable escape from the rickety public transport. As the city boomed and deeper pockets surged, they turned a necessity. But now, as options mount with tech-assisted car-pools, bike-shares and Yulu’s, can their survival still be on auto-pilot?

“Yes and no. Comfortable and safe, the auto is still the better option. But the economics are not working out for the drivers. The time has come to convert to electric,” contends Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union (ARDU) President D Rudramurthy.

Tough economics

By tough economics, he means this: “Since the city roads are bad, maintenance costs are mounting. Repairs are recurrent. Converting to electric would mean zero maintenance, virtually. No issues like engine damage and oil change.”

But the electric switch is a tough call too. Since new e-Autos, priced at Rs 3.4 lakh and upwards, are out of the affordability question, retrofitting the existing rickshaws is the only option. This, as Rudramurthy explains, does not come cheap. “Conversion costs an estimated Rs 1.75 lakh. It can work out only if the government gives a subsidy of at least Rs 1 lakh.”

Convinced that this is not going to happen in a hurry, the drivers find themselves at the tricky crossroads. Metered commute, they complain, is increasingly unviable economically. Excess fare demands drive customers away to the app-based alternatives. Is there another way out?

Fare hike proposal

One roundabout suggested is a fare hike. “The fares have remained static since the last revision on December 20, 2013. We have now sought an increase in minimum fare from the existing Rs 25 to Rs 30 for the first 1.5 km and Rs 20 for every km thereafter,” Rudramurthy informs.

But not every driver is keen on an immediate hike. Explains C Sampath, General Secretary of the Adarsh Auto and Taxi Drivers Union: “It is true that one section wants a hike citing rising livelihood costs, but many want to wait till the LPG rate goes beyond a limit.”

A revision at this stage, he explains, would only mean additional costs linked to meter recalibration, frequent visits to the Department of Weights and Measurement and more. Besides, a five-rupee hike would mean nothing since the minimum fare is already fixed at Rs 30 informally. “Hardly any customer insists on the change.”

Retrofit challenges

Sampath definitely sees the autorickshaw as part of future mobility. But, unlike Rudramurthy, he and his Union does not see retrofitting existing vehicles as the way forward. He explains, “We have sought subsidy for new e-Autos in the State budget. Retrofitting old autos will not work due to wear and tear.”

E-Autos would also mean a robust charging ecosystem with points at Metro Stations, bus stations and local areas. “This is critical. The e-Autos will have to run even during monsoon without fear of charge running out. The government needs to ensure this,” says Sampath.

Critical mass

The push for such an ecosystem would get stronger only with a critical mass of e-Autos. Currently, Bengaluru has less than 5,000 such electric vehicles out of the estimated 1.45 lakh autorickshaws plying across the city.

Beyond the economics of pricing and sustenance, the autorickshaw’s place in the city’s future mobility requires a planned approach, argues transportation expert, Dr Ashish Verma from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). “A study like the Comprehensive Mobility Plan should define the complementary role autorickshaws can play in the future.”

First-mile, last-mile

The rickshaw as a viable option to fill first and last-mile connectivity gaps is a proven reality. This, Verma reasons, will be remain so even in a mobility plan that sees the Metro and the Suburban Rail networks as the key mobility driver.

Non-polluting, economically sound e-Autos could be the preferred last-mile connector of the future. But even in this scheme of things, there is a glaring loophole that needs to be addressed: The oft-heard, widespread commuter complaint about drivers’ refusal to take trips not in their route network.

Geographical zones

Why not use technology to address this pretty old issue? Why not earmark geographical zones and let drivers choose the zone of their operation? “Yes, create zones for them to ply, based on which part of the city they are in. Let them operate within that boundary,” says Verma.

This data, made available to customers through an accessible interface, could potentially make auto commute seamless, safer and even cost-effective. Why not borrow a lesson or two from the early-starters in tech-innovation, the cab aggregators themselves?

The possibilities are immense, but stuck in a vision called the future. The reality of today has the drivers in a dire contest with micro-mobility players to grab every customer. They see their meagre earnings further sliced by the app-based bicycles and motorcycles.

But even as the ground slips, there could still be a way to kickstart a reversal of fortunes for the automen. Mobility experts, commuters and the unions have all one collective advice: Behave well with the public and watch them return in droves.