CHENNAI: The motley yellow share auto, and its slightly larger white cousin, ‘Tata Magic’, can truly take the credit for acting as connectors between far-flung suburbs and the city. The share autos’ reach and role has gained significance, especially since the formation of Greater Chennai.Nakshatra (22), a resident of Avadi, who until recently was a student of Dr Ambedkar Law College and is now a practicing lawyer, swears by the share auto. “Share autos have definitely made my life much easier from my college days and even now. People like us, who are living in the suburbs, suffer from lack of frequent buses. But, every five minutes there is a share auto. I find it very convenient. Share autos are the quickest way of reaching the city, we don’t have to waste time waiting for a bus.”Sumathy (45), a resident of Thirumullaivoyal, who works at DAV school, Anna Nagar, pointed out the people-friendliness of share autos. “Buses don’t wait for people, But share autos when they see we are trying to cross the road, wait for us; it helps us reach our destination on time.”“Share autos definitely play a huge role in bridging the missing gaps of connectivity, which the public transport system has failed to provide to residents of the suburbs. For covering distances within 5 km, share autos are the most convenient and economical mode of transportation in the suburbs. I sometimes take two share autos to save time, thanks to the availability of share autos. If not, people living in suburbs wouldn’t be able to reach office, school or college on time”, said Divya of Avadi.Besides, another point of agreement among women who use share autos was avoiding harassment on buses. As Nakshatra put it, “One major reason I started using share auto is to avoid being harassed by strange men on buses, who use the crowd as an excuse. In comparison, share autos are a much decent and safer way of travel for women.”It is easy on the pocket, less crowded, easily available and has time and again proved to be a boon for suburban Chennaiites to reach important spots such as bus depots or railway stations, from where they may have other choices of transport to reach their destinations.
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