Rickshaw Rocks
A news article in the paper today brought a broad smile on my face. Well, the news has nothing to do with me, but my country, and that's reason enough to smile. The news article talks about how two students from Holland, on a tour to India, fell in love with, guess what, our very own desi RICKSHAW! They feel that rickshaw is a wonderful eco-friendly mode of transport and so smitten are they with this three wheeled wonder that they have decided to take it to their country to be used as a means of transport to university. WOW!!! The news article attracted my attention because it made me realize that we have alternatives around us, in our own country, but still we remain blind to suit our purposes. In our madness to make life comfortable and luxurious, we have conveniently played havoc with nature and environment and the result is for all to see. Being a teacher, when I chance to overhear the students in college corridors, to my disappointment, I hear talks only about the latest cars, gadgets, electronic items, and a sort of maniac desire in students to possess the latest and most sought after cars or wheels. Gone are the days, when students used to enjoy a bicycle ride to school, college or university. Today you'll find the kids whizzing past you in the flashiest and trendiest of four wheelers and this gives them happiness and satisfaction. The bicycle competitions have cleared the way for motor-bike and speeding car competitions now. And anyone riding a bicycle to school or college is laughed upon, considered not so 'cool', and sometimes jeered at. But the news of these two Dutch students came as whiff of fresh air. It brought about hope and positivity that all is not lost as yet. It also reminded me of a very well known proverb in Hindi, "Ghar kee murgi daal baraabar."(we don't value things in our own home). How surprising that people from other countries are appreciating something that has been a part of Indian culture and transport from times immemorial, but our own people seem to ignore it. Wake up and take notice, all you students in India. It's time to do your bit for reducing the carbon footprint on earth.
The rickshaw might be an eco-friendly model of transport, but the rickshaw drivers are a problem. They are not passenger-friendly. Even in Mumbai and Pune, where rickshaw fares are regulated, they keep asking for something above what the meter reads. In Bengaluru, the lesser said, the better. No rickshaw driver settles for the meter reading. He always wants atleast Rs. 10/- over and above the legal fare.
Cycles are good. In many educational campuses in India, students are not allowed to use motorised vehicles. They can only use bicycles or the campus internal transport. So, there are a few conscious people out there in various campuses.
Yes, I have read this article too.
To make rikshaws really work, we will have to pay more attention to our roads. There should be special lanes for these slow-moving vehicles. This lane could also be shared by cyclists.
That's really exciting....A rickshaw rally...leave aside the foreigners, even I as an Indian wouldn't mind participating in one..........the whole idea is to think of ways to contribute to a cleaner environment and finding out our own ways to do it....it's not that tough.....is it?
That's really exciting....A rickshaw rally...leave aside the foreigners, even I as an Indian wouldn't mind participating in one..........the whole idea is to think of ways to contribute to a cleaner environment and finding out our own ways to do it....it's not that tough.....is it?
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