Imported cars are a rarity in India thanks to the more than 100 per cent tax that accompanies such products. They will continue to be a rarity if Indian Govt continues to impose such high taxes. But hey I don’t have a problem with that, but I do have a problem with Govt charging similar high tax on hybrid cars which have better mileage (by almost 40 per cent) compared to conventional petrol cars.

Honda Toyota launched hybrid version of Civic two days back and it was priced at Rs 21.5 lakh. If not for the taxes, the price would have been around Rs 11 lakh which makes it affordable for more number of people if not all. Isn’t it possible for Govt to reduce taxes for hybrids at least till the start producing such vehicles in India?

None of the automobile companies in India have started manufacturing hybrid vehicles as such; yet excise duty has been slashed to 14 per cent from 24 per cent. So isn’t it logical to allow imported hybrids at lower duty until production of hybrids domestically begins? Shouldn’t Indian Govt be offering incentives to people using hybrid cars? While world over Govts are taking serious steps towards energy conservation why is Indian Govt so lax about it? Why don’t they think about the amount of money they could save if more and more people start using such cars.

As of now the car is affordable only for the rich who, to be honest, won’t be as bothered by the hike as much as a normal Indian.

Three days since the release of 1 lakh car from TATA, I am having hick ups on the concept.. agreed; its a great creation packed with innovation. But does it have what it requires to succeed? A lot of people are concerned about the congestion on Indian roads. But that my dear friends is restricted to the major India cities (at least for now), which have an overwhelming population.

The real users of the car will be the middle class who form the majority in the Indian towns. Now let me describe these ’small towns’ the dominant population here are small businessmen and people working in service industry like banking! And this class forms THE target audience for the car.. So what are the problems of having such a small car in these towns?

First of all towns have narrow roads and they may not be able to handle the sudden explosion of traffic! And knowing our politicians they are not bound to widen the roads in a giffy.. they will take their own sweet time by which the small towns will face traffic problems earlier found only in cities like Bangalore.

Also about the roads again.. having driven in these small towns we need to keep in mind that they may not have best of roads and one kilometre out of the town you reach villages where the only form of transport are jeeps and TATA Sumos. Will NANO’s baby tyres be able to carry it on the rough terrain? Can Nano rule the roost in an area under the rule of big brother Sumo? I doubt it!

Why should one buy Tata Nano?

Well for one its as cheap as an auto (almost)

An autorickshaw costs Rs 90,000+taxes while a basic model of Nano costs Rs 1 Lakh+taxes

1> It can accommodate 4 people

2> It looks better than an auto.. and goos enough for a car!

3> Its a car.. means u can ride in the rain! ( You wont get drenched like in an auto)

4> Great mileage – 23kmph! (wow!)

5> Eco-friendly (meets bharat 3 and will meet euro-4 standards)

5> Last but not the least — killer price for a car!

Is it just a modified version of an auto?

Here are a few reasons why I believe so!

1> Its has only one viper in the front

2> Base size (platform) is slightly bigger than an auto thats all

3> Wheels look as small as an auto (am not sure if it is :-p )

For Bangaloreans

I have a killer reason why Bangaloreans should buy Auto.. Autowallahs are going on strike on Jan 11! They want the rates to be hiked to Rs 10/metre!

Kewl Idea

Hey taxi guys .. how about running Nano as a Taxi at rates cheaper than taxi slighly more than autos? What say? May be that will cut the autos to size

For those interested here are the specifications of the car

PS: By the way Ram got inspired by GTA series of posts and decided to write smthing about autokkarans in Chennai.. take a look!

GTA – Temple city

This is the final post of Grand Theft Autorickshaw series.. to make any sens read GTA , GTA2, GTA3 and then read this post

I speak english!
NOTE: This my dear friends is the rarest bread of auto drivers. You may not find them in any other city in India, but in Bangalore.. What’s special about them? As the headline says.. They speaks english!

Me: Anna.. Jayanaga Jaoge?
Auto: Hindi gothilla.. You know english
Me: eh.. yya.. ya I speak english
Auto: So where do you want to go
Me: Jayanagar
Auto: ok
Me: (I couldn’t hold back my curiosity)
Auto: From where did you learn to speak english so well?
Me: Oh! from my daughter.. There are a lot of non-kannadigas here. So I asked her to teach me hindi so I could talk to these people. But she told me that she will teach me english as there are a lot of tourists here. So I agreed and I learnt
Me: So how long did it take
Auto: 1 year
Me: wow.. thats great.. you did a really good thing…
(the talk continued for half an hour thanks to traffic.. we discussed traffic, garbage issue, auto metre tampering and traffic again)
(on reaching)
Me: Anna, here is the money
Auto: Thank you (gives back change)
Me: No, Thank you!

Double trouble
NOTE: Ever travelled in a group of five or more in an auto? Chances are quite less for something like that to happen. Unless of course you are in school and auto picks you up from school and takes you home and vice-versa.. well I had ‘encounters’ with auto guys because we travelled in a big group!)
Me: Anna Jayanagar
Auto: okay
Me: There are five people
the smile =) on his face changes shape now =(

Auto: Do (two) auto lena padega
Me: Ek auto mein possible nahi hain? we will give little extra
Auto: No you will have to take two autos!
(out of the blue another auto driver appear who offers to take the second group.. now we don’t have any options you see)
Auto1 (to auto 2): Bhaiyya appa pehle chalo.. I will follow you
Auto 2(to auto 1): nahi nahi aap pahle
Me: (in mind.. am I in Bangalore or Lucknow?)
Auto 1: nahi nahi aap
Auto 2: ok chalo follow.. u have digital metre u put.. i wont
Auto1: ok
Auto1 & 2 together: Boss is that okay.. he has digital so he puts…
Me: okay chalo abhi
(and so the journey starts the auto I was in didn’t have the metre running because ‘he did not have digital meter’ :p)
(fast forward – we reach destination)
(the metre in second auto – digital meter – read 90, when it should have read 60!)
phew!
Me: Boss aapka meter galat hein
Auto1: Wo khoome aana padta hein.. isliye..
Me: (in mind – WTF!)
I have come b same route before also how can you say ‘khoom ke’ now.. don’t crap with me unnecessarily!
Auto 2: Are you trying to say my metre is rigged? digital metre hein bhayya it cannot be
Me: oh come on whom are you kidding.. there is no meter that cannot be rigged.. only if you mess up digital metre the seal will be broken that s all.. move let me check the metre

Auto1 pushes me away

Friend1: Boss.. no need to push around we know your metre is tampered three of us here work in media.. we know many policemen .. we will give you 60 (*2 of course) if you need more you call police. There are five of us here, so don’t mess up.
Auto1: (reality sinks in) okay give.. but remember I know were you live I will come with my friends..

Me: ya ya okay
we will see

(The never turned up.. thank god.. though we put up a bracve face then we were a littel bit scared of the consequences….)

Anything for money

(this one…. came in as a comment from Taju!)

1. I (Taju aka Xylene) called an auto to take ma wife and myself to the Railway station. I bargained and fixed the rate to 125 ( for 15 kms)
Upon seeing ma extra large suitcase he began ” luggage one and a half, extra, more, more, more”

I said “bhaiiyya this auto is for how many ppl?” he said “three”
“So we have me, her and yeh luggage ek admi sumcho (consider this luggage as a person), so no extra… ”
he agreed !
2. On our way back all the autodrivers were bargaining for 150rs (from madiwala to hsr layout 4 kms). I tried ma “consider this luggage as the third person” but dint work !!
So i had to increase my offer to 60 Rs, still no one was agreeing.
Autowalla1 : “sir ur office will begin now”
me ” No its only at 1PM”
Autowalla2 : “Sir the rate is for luggage 70Rs”
Me ” NOOO”
Autowalla picking up my suitcase ” see I am carrying your luggage sirrr”
me ” Oh okay then”
me to wife ” atleast he helped me witht he luggage, so lets give him 70?
upon reachingthe destination. he dint bother to get out of the driver seat. and I pulled..pushed….tried to lift it out of the auto..finally managed to get it out ( his seat got torn, he dint notice, well so be it…)
wife to me ” so wats the extra 10 for??”
me “sigh to get him out of ma sight”

To understand this post properly first read this and then this

‘Auto meri jaan’

I love these kind of auto drivers.. for them their auto is their life, not just because it’s their source of income.. But they simply just

love their autos. They take care of it like they do their children.. Here is one such incident.. but mind you, in this case I was ‘little

irritated’ why? read on…

NOTE: Background of the story is as follows… A friend of mine had come to town so we decide to rent out a house.. which we finally

did… And now all I needed to do was move all my stuff from my paying guest accommodation to my new house.. I pack everything

and call the auto ..

Me: Anna, Jayanagar Jaoge?
Auto: ok
Me: One minute.. need to get some stuff
Auto: Blank expression (I read it then as.. hurry up.. thinking back.. I think he meant.. are u kiddin me?)

(I come down with my ‘luggage’ which basically comprises of a HUGE backpack and a suitcase along with my computer boxes -

monitor, CPU, speakers, UPS etc.. – all of them dusty mind you)

Now I start loading them one by one

Auto: Nahi nahi don’t keep that bag on the seat
Me: Ok.. I start keeping it behind the seat
Auto: Nahi nahi don’t keep there then where will you keep those dirty boxes
Me: I don’t know! You tell me
Auto: Keep the boxes on the floor
Me: Boss.. Are you joking? Its a computer monitor.. It won’t fit..
Auto: Whatever fits on the floor fits in the auto.. If anything’s left keep it on your lap!

Me: Eh.. ok! (It’s not like I had choice you see)
(I HAD TO do it the way he wanted for the sake of shifting…. and I did.. we reached home.. now getting myself and the stuff from

the auto)

Me: Anna.. can you help me to get the stuff out.. because without that I can’t get out
Auto: Give me look that simply said (yeuw.. me help you with that? No chance!)
Me: But I can’t get out..
Auto: call your friend
Me: He is in office!
Auto: Call your neighbour then!
Me: WHAT! For god’s sake pleeeeeeease!
Auto: ah ok then (he takes the comp monitor from my lap and almost throws it on the floor)
Me: Thanks… here is the money..
Auto: (Snatches the money out of my hand and rushes away as soon as I took my stuff out of the auto)

The ‘otherway’ driver

I hate encounters with such a brand of auto drivers….
NOTE: This incident happened at 3 in the evening not late at night!

Me: Auto….. (whizzes past)
Me: Auto… (another one passes by)
Me: AUTO!!!!
(finally one stops)
Me: Jayanagar
Auto: Gives that ‘meditating’ look
nahi going to MG road
Me: (in mind – eh I thought it was an auto didn’t realise you run in particular routes alone)

Watch out for the grand finale (hopefully) of the GTA series ….. to be continued

For this post to make any sense pls read this post first…

GOD ON EARTH
NOTE: These type of auto drivers make an appearance when you are short of cash.. not necessarily when broke.. and never turn up again…

Me: Boss, Jayanagar jaoge
Auto: ok sit
Me: (skeptical.. looking at the meter)
Auto: TING! (digital meter.. wow.. and he’s turned it on)
(Reached destination.. twenty min pass.. we lost ten min at traffic junctions)
Me: (shit I have only Rs 30 change and Rs 100 note… and meter reads 35.. oh god… now I will have to argue)
Anna, here (I offer Rs 100 note)
Auto: Change ilva?
Me: Only 30
Auto: ok give
Me: (I give 30.. he gives back Rs 100)
sorry anna
Auto: (Nods understandingly, smiles and leaves before I can invite him for a tea/coffee for being a nice chap…)

Conclusion: Good things come in small packages proportions

The chatter box
NOTE: These guys appear too friendly and gets to your nerves.. and also that the below conversation took place in hindi

Me: Boss, Jayanagar jaoge
Auto: yes yes why not… sit sit
Me: okay (bckgrnd: ting. meters on.. good)
Auto: So where are you from?
Me: Kerala
Auto: Oh I have been there beautiful place my cousin drives auto in kochi
Me: Oh (all auto drivers in kochi come under the category of Jack the rippers)
Auto: The traffic, its so irritating these days it takes ten minutes to travel 100 meters (we were at MG road u see.. he goes on…) do you know what happened to me yesterday?
Me: (a moments silence… ah that felt good) what? (why did I utter a word.. stupid me!)
Auto: I was driving through outer ring road……… (the conversation or should I say the monologue went on for the next forty min till I reached home)
Me: Anna, here is the money
Anna: Change ilva? (Don’t have change?)
Me: Illa (don’t have)
Anna: okay.. (he gave me back change with three rupee short.. if I ask him about the three rupee he would go on for another ten min about shortage of coins so I took the offering and cleared the spot)

Conclusion: And I though being exposed to radiation was the worst thing possible

The Pervert
NOTE: I never encountered these beasts.. a few of my girl friends encountered them though

She: Anna, MG Road
Auto: (Gives that creepy look which makes one melt) YES!
She: (gets in… quite conscious)
Auto: TING! (Meter on…. great! Now the rear view mirror changes it’s purpose. It becomes passenger view mirror)
(She looks into the mirror only to meet those sharp eyes trying to see through her.. she finds protection behind her backpack which now she keeps on her lap)
(Twenty min pass and the destination approaches) Even after wearing a Kurta.. she thinks

She: Here is the money
Auto: Thanks he collects the money in a giffy making it a point to touch her palms..
She: Leaves the change money and moves away from the auto

Conclusion: Sometimes being a woman is a curse!

Continued here...

Since I came to Bangalore eight months back, I have read a zillion posts on terrible experiences people had with autorickshaws and traffic. But my post WILL BE DIFFERENT.

How?

For the past one month I have been doing a research and I have classified auto drivers into ten different categories (liable to increase in number) based on the way they behave with the ‘customers’.

1> Don the autodriver
Me: Boss, Jayanagar jaoge?
Auto: Yes, 60
Me: Meter
Auto: 60
Me: Meter
Auto: (silence.. take a drag from his beedi.)
(For a second I thought I was in a Rajanikanth movie so I move off before he starts maroing dialogues)

Conclusions: Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin namumkin hai!

2> ‘Busy’ autodriver
Me: Boss, Jayanagar jaoge?
Auto: (silence.. stares at nothingness… )
Me: (in mind) is he meditating? Hmmm na… better bring him back to mortal world in case he is..
BOSS.. HELLO.. JAYANAGAR.. GO.. YES OR NO!!! (screaming!)
Auto: (Turns his head in slow motion) nahi busy he

Conclusion: Whom are you kiddin!

3> Jack the ripper
NOTE: These type of auto drivers make their entry only at night time or when you want to reach a place ASAP.
Me: Boss, Jayanagar jaoge?
Auto: Ha zaroor, 250.. get in
Me: (stunned!… I keep quite when stunned you see.. now the ball is in auto driver’s court)
Auto: Acha ok double meter plus 10
Me: (looking around…. Damn no auto in site.. ah! And no balance in phone to call taxi!!!)

OK

(sob) (sob)

Auto: GRIN (1, 2, 3, 4 ……… 32)

Me: Razzot Fazzzot

Conclusion: Its high time I thought of a career shift! … I could be the next Jack the Ripper

Continued here………