Unfortunately the system in most cities in India is broken, and most notably so in Chennai. The government-mandated meter is never switched on, and the passenger has to negotiate the fare upfront before boarding. Residents of the city consider the system to be highly overpriced, and a significant section doesn’t even venture to travel by it. In Bangalore and Mumbai, rickshaws refuse to ply to areas from where they are unlikely to get onward passengers, and in a number of cities, it is rumoured that the number of autos on the road far exceeds the number of licenses issued.



Reforming any form of dispersed and piecemeal transportation utilities is a gargantuan task in India.

Azhar Chougle takes a look at the ubiquitous taxis and rickshaws in Mumbai. Do you know that rickshaws are forbidden beyond a certain point in the city and are restricted to the suburbs?

Even the rickshaw wallah has a website. My name is Samson and I am an Auto-Rickshaw driver here in Chennai, formally known as Madras. You can find me outside of the Taj Coromandel Hotel in the heart of the city.