[StarVegabond]

What do yo think about this story ?



Gentlemanly behavior by auto drivers in India is something you can only dream about. I bet there’s hardly anyone who’s not had a heated argument with them. It’s heartening that authorities are not turning a deaf ear to continuous outcry from the public in this regard. The government of Maharashtra has decided to give auto drivers lessons in etiquette. And guess what’s going to happen in Bangalore? Tata Nanos may soon replace abrasive autorickshaws, if the BMTC has its way.

In an attempt to phase out autorickshaws gradually and provide Bangaloreans with a cheap but comfortable local transport mechanism, the transport department is planning to buy10,000 Tata Nanos as city taxies.

Karnataka transport minister R Ashoka said the government is thinking of purchasing 10,000 Nano cars and renting them out in Bangalore. The profit will be shared between the government and the driver, at 40:60 ratio respectively. The government may invest for the cars from its own resources or take loans.”

Tata Nano vs Bajaj Autorickshaws

* Both Nano and autorickshaw cost Rs 1.3 lakh on the road.
* While the Nano offers a mileage of 20 kmpl, an autorickshaw returns 25 kmpl.
* Tata Nano emits 101 grams of CO2 per kilometer while 2-stroke and 4-stroke auto-rickshaws emit 87.2 and 85.6 CO2/km respectively. LPG autos’ figures are even less. So autorickshaws are evidently more eco-friendly.

Do you think the move by BMTC is constructive? Or will it blemish the identity of the people’s car?

for detailed story

Fit to Post: Yahoo! India News Blog Archive Sleek Tata Nanos to Replace Rasping Autos

[NIP]

This is music to my ears !! Doesn't matter what cars what is blemished, as long as Autos are on the way out !!! Good show BMTC....hope this happens fast.

[binoyb22]

Great step taken by Karnataka govt.It remains to be seen if it just stands on paper or it really happens!!

Some of good things would be
1)four passengers can travel.
2)Rainy days you wont get wet,which happens if you travel in auto
3)Hopefully need not fight with drivers anymore.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by binoyb22

Great step taken by Karnataka govt.It remains to be seen if it just stands on paper or it really happens!!

Some of good things would be
1)four passengers can travel.
2)Rainy days you wont get wet,which happens if you travel in auto
3)Hopefully need not fight with drivers anymore.

Dunno about number three. But the two biggest benefits I can see are

1) Safety: No contest here.

2) Image: Switching to a car from an auto is definitely going to give Bangalore a better image

That said, I doubt if it'll happen anytime soon because the costs involved are quite huge

[ramzsys]

Tata better give these taxis a new name, with mild cosmetic changes like bumper, lights etc. But i still vouch for the 'drivability' factor of a 3 wheeler over the Nano taxi.

[amitk26]

Atrocious plan of minister R Ashok for the following reason

1. BMTC is supposed to provide bus services to public , they are better off investing money in buying more Volvo / Marcopolo and oridnary buses that can reduce congestion and vehicular traffic.

2. If nano is better then an Auto , Auto drivers will buy it automatically in replacement cycle . Government just need to make sure that polluting auto's which are beyond shelf life are scrapped. Let free-market decide if a 3 wheeler or a 4 wheeler is best for cheap urban transport.

3. There are actually too many autos on roads of Bangalore , The point is the work culture is not as efficient as say Mumbai and Auto drivers take public to ransom by refusing to go or asking double fare.
Just change of vehicle can not change mentality .

I think only beneficiary will be some dealer who will supply 10,000 Nanos.

[aby]

I think if Tata come out with an LPG version of Nano, we have a win-win situation from all angles over the nasty Autos as it will match or even be lower than Auto CO2 emissions.

The reasons I want the damned Autorickshaws out are

1) The Highly unsafe
2) Front handles which make those Satan on wheels drive like maniacs.
3) Better passenger load (4 can travel, compared to 3 in Auto)
4) Silencer tampering, which increase the noise pollution

Easier solution would be to simply ban registration of new autos in Bangalore city and letting Nanos take over a period of time. This will take care of the cost aspect as well.

[prince_pervez]

I cannot see how this going to help. More commotion on the roads is what I see.

[sushantr5]

I think Tata will not allow nano to become taxi. Tata has Magic Iris for this purpose.

[aby]

Originally Posted by sushantr5

I think Tata will not allow nano to become taxi. Tata has Magic Iris for this purpose.

beg to differ, but isn't it apples to orange comparison. Magic is 8-10 seater which isn't even sold in urban areas.

Autos can easily be replaced by Nanos. The big question is will Tata agree to that. My feeling is that once they clear the existing booking backlog, it would be a great way to increase the market size. Being the lowest priced car, there is no image "burden" to carry, which a manufacturer of sedan would possibly be thinking.

Replicate it all over the market and suddenly you have over 10million autorickshaws all over the country which start looking obsolete. A huge market by any means.

In the long run, I think Nano might do to Autorickshaw industry what Indica did to taxis. Basically become the de-facto standard. So maybe that can explain the desperation of Bajaj to get into this business.

[speedmiester]

It is a commendable move by the BMTC (if it is implemented).
The autos are a huge menace to traffic as they can be turned around with their handle bars, bet it would be different with a steering wheel.
Another important factor is the safety, nanos are definitely safer compared to autos.

The emission figure is not a concern, as most of the auto drivers run on kerosene instead of petrol.

[amitoj]

Will appreciate this move only if they install speed limiters on these, which wont allow them to cross 40 kmph. Imagine the chaos these auto drivers will cause when they have a more powerful vehicle at their disposal!!

[ACM]

This would be a delight.

We can then plan on Auto Rides as something from the past that our kids would relish just as they relish rides in bombays double deckers.

So much safer.
So much more space.
So much more convenient
So much lesser rains to endure. We can forget about the cloth flapps that the ricks have for protection.
So what will Bajaj do.

Do give me a tip just before this confirmed. Buy TATA Stocks, Sell Bajaj Stocks.

A new kind of mouse to bully for my Safari.

[amitk26]

I can not even think how people can like this move specially when BMTC is the agency and money is from tax payers. Instead of my tax money going to make replace purchase I would like Auto owners / drivers to get bank loans and finance a replacement nano for themselves.

BMTC should focus on improving bus service which is pathetic as of today. If you see there is another government agency KSRTC who already entered radio taxi business citing some pretext of public service but I don't see how they are of any help to public.
During the HAL airport days they had a monopoly of parking space on the exit road from old airport where as others had to pay 60-100Rs for parking once Airport moved to Devanhalli it was level playing field and now meru and easycab provide better services.

If BMTC enters this it will be repeat of KSRTC story.

OT but interesting story :

We generally assume that Auto wala is a poor guy but once my BIL who was a fresh engineering graduate in year 2004 was going for an interview and caught an auto to the venue in Bangalore , Auto driver after seeing him well dressed with a folder in his hand asked him if he is going for an interview and started giving him some tips. BIL was surprised and asked "Bhaiyya aap ko yeh sab kaise pata hai "

Auto guy told he is a BBA earlier he was doing some 20K job in BPO then chucked it and purchased an auto , with in 2 years he has 5 autos 1 he drives himself and rent out 4 others he even advised if BIL wants to enter business he can help

[blackasta]

Has anyone thought about the re training costs involved?
Auto drivers require a 3 wheeler license which is more akin to a scooter. I do not think maximum of them even know how to drive a car! They have to be hurriedly taught driving - and suddenly we are going to have 10000 newbies on road - all at once!
If the auo->nano transition does happen, it should be in a phased manner. Do a small feasibility study in a small tier II-III city, and if successful - replicate it on a large, but phased scale in metros.
We would also require nanocab variants.
Give that a thought.
PS: One thing is common - both auto and nano have their engines located at the rear!