This is an article to describe the travel system in Mumbai and whether it really serves or frustrates to no end.
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Author: Neha Malude
The public transport system: does it serve or frustrate?
Crowded buses tilting to one side of the road under the weight of scores of people, buses so dilapidated, one wonders if it is the grime that holds it together rather than the nuts and bolts; trains bulging on either side with a sea of humans packed like sardines, with a few brave ones dangling at the doorway for the lack of space inside and profanities being hurled by passengers at each other – Welcome to the world of Indian public transport!
Every Indian is familiar with the serpentine queues for the bus and train tickets (and recently even air!); they are a regular affair, and pushes and shoves to gain even an inch of space in trains turn into an effective mode of exercise.
I remember an incident that still gives me the shivers. I had moved to Mumbai in 2006 and was staying with my sister in Dombvili, which is about two hours away (by train) from Bandra, where I was working then. Imagine stuffing a hundred angry lionesses in one cage- growling, fighting, scratching and attempting to kill each other, if it came to that. That’s exactly how it was inside the train when it halted. And in an attempt to get on the train, against ladies who were jumping out, I nearly fell through the space between the train and the platform! A few women caught my hand before I could, and I was saved. Never again, I promised myself, would I ever travel by a local train again! Of course, that was not possible, but I did manage to find a place quite close to my work place so that it involved as little travelling as possible!
To be fair, the local trains in Mumbai are dot on time. Well, almost always. Once, the trains were running late by an hour or so, and understandably, the few that did arrive, were packed to the point where they looked like they would burst. I climbed one such train; I had a flight to catch, and I had baggage with me. To date, I have no idea how I got in, but I remember I couldn’t get out. There were arms, hands, legs and bags everywhere, and I suddenly felt claustrophobia creeping in on me; I couldn’t breathe!
I had to poke a lot of people with a pin to move them aside, and I jumped on the platform, baggage and all! I was so shook up that I sat right there and started sobbing! I can never forget that day. And oh yes, I missed my flight by a minute. Not a problem, I was just glad to be alive.
I would suggest joining a military school at least a month before one steps onto a local train. It would make one tough, both by body and mind. I do not exaggerate when I say that travelling by a local is like going preparing for a battle. The ones who can fight and put up with it, will win, and the others, well, they will just have to get used to it! Sometimes, one doesn’t even have to try to get into or off a train; all one needs to do is let themselves be led by the enormous sea of people around.
All said and done, trains are the most convenient and economical way to get around. In a city like Mumbai, they are aptly referred to as the lifeline of the city, even though they might become lifeless some days.
Not that the other transport modes fare any better! Auto rickshaw and taxi drivers decide to play God and demand their own fares from passengers who can’t take buses or trains and thus have no choice but to pay up. If not, well, walking was always a great alternative.
I hauled a rickshaw driver to a nearby police station once, when he refused to drop me at the station. But most of us either don’t have the time, or the inclination to do these things. They just shrug and wait for another taxi or rickshaw to come by.
Public transport in India is synonymous with buses. Majority of the population in Indian cities, towns and villages depend on buses for conveyance; the simple reason being that they are cheap and easily accessible.
But there is a huge disparity between the number of buses and the people travelling on them. One sees people travelling on top of the buses too! Add to the congestion inside the bus, the traffic jams and potholes outside, and you get a frustrated passenger and an even more aggravated bus driver, who is ready to pull his hair out any minute. The biggest advantage of a bus though, is that it covers routes that a train doesn’t, and which an auto would take more money for.
This brings us to a question then: Does public transport serve or frustrate? Well, in my opinion, it frustrates! Given a choice, I would avoid public transport anytime I can.
Of course, that’s a dream too good to be true for most of us. And so, we wait till that day arrives; when the buses and trains will be air conditioned, the crowds would be sparse, and the ride will be smooth as molten butter. Meanwhile, it’s back to shoving and pushing!
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Comments:
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Its really a marvelous article with the incidents which are heartouching and yes thats why we can say that why India is called INCREDIBLE