A fling with Paris can do Bangalore good

A funny thing has been happening on the streets of Bangalore. Auto drivers are increasingly getting agreeable to the idea of going by the meter.
I have only two explanations for the phenomena: either they are being extremely cordial to an out-of-towner or they have been hit by the downturn that has gripped Bangalore. Since I can hear you laughing your guts out at the former, I can safely assume that the latter theory holds water.
No government has ever been able to tame the overcharging auto driver. In most cities, autos are either owned by police officials and politicians, or, as in the case of Bangalore, are affiliated to powerful local outfits such as Jai Karnataka or Ka Ra Ve. Which basically means that they can get away with almost anything because the hapless commuter has no other alternative.
Public transport in Indian cities has always been run on the whims and fancies of individuals and lobbies – except perhaps in Mumbai and Kozhikode where auto drivers are like a wish-come-true. Take the case of Kendra Saarige, for instance. The air-conditioned Volvo service run by BMTC for the Central Business District in Bangalore is just the thing needed for this city. However, due to poor planning, these buses mostly run empty. What BMTC could – or rather, should – have done is identify a few parking lots and run the service between these points. On the other hand, BBMP should have jacked up the parking charges along MG Road, Brigade Road etc after the introduction of the service to encourage Kendra Saarige’s usage. This would have ensured better utilization of the service and eliminated the need for autos in the CBD.
Two things alone can save Bangalore from its mammoth traffic problems and pollution. One, integrated public transport with the right mix of high capacity buses running along arterial roads and smaller battery-operated ones serving as feeders. Two, Bertrand Delanoe, the mayor of Paris since 2001. Delanoe has brought back romance to the city of love with his three-pronged strategy – reduce cars in areas served by buses and trains; improve public transport to ensure rapid movement; give back the city to pedestrians and cyclists, even rollerbladers. Delanoe introduced an essentially free Velib service wherein you can pick up a cycle from racks provided all over the city for a nominal subscription fee. And you can return it at any rack. The service is free for the first 30 minutes and thereafter the charge rises steeply.
Though the scheme has its fair share of critics, it’s an idea that is being replicated in Austria, Spain, Finland, Australia and the US.
The Agenda for Bengalooru Infrastructure Development (ABIDe) is working toward a world-class Bangalore by 2020 and, hopefully, our very own Bertrand Delanoe will emerge through that exercise. Till then, it is only the economic downturn that will save us the daily harassment at the hands of the auto driver.