Blogs

In the last couple of years, Rapido has become a well-known name in Indian cities. The ride-hailing platform, focussed solely on two-wheelers, has been gaining popularity in cities struggling to deal with congestion. Now the other major ride-hailing platforms - Ola and Uber - are also offering bike taxi services. Rapido has also become a household name as it were because of the recent spate of backlash against it and attempts to get it banned.

Chennai receives the majority of its annual rainfall during the monsoon season, from October to December. While the monsoon brings relief from the heat, it also poses various challenges for motorists. 

Hazardous factors affecting motorists during monsoon

Over the years, the number of schools, especially private ones, has burgeoned and so have mobility options for the school commute.  This has provided families with the flexibility to choose schools located farther from their homes. However, this also means there are more road safety risks for their children if precautions aren't taken.

According to Chennai’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan 2019, the modal share of private automobiles increased from 2008 to 2018 while that of walk/cycle/public transport decreased.

Recently, the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) announced they were in the process of introducing several technological upgrades, including the installation of cameras with ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) and speed detection systems. Such automated systems are common across the world but have just started coming into the picture in India. 

The role of the media in society is rather broad and all-encompassing. The various forms of media (print, and visual, and now social media) are all primary channels of communication with citizens, helping bridge the gap between people and policy makers. It keeps people informed of current affairs and can significantly shape public opinion. An example of this is how the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in New Delhi never got a fair chance with the media baying for its blood.

Bicycles were associated with wealthy young men in the early part of the 20th century, particularly being favoured by the sahibs and the Indian elite. In a few years, as bicycles became more common and popular, the prestige waned. By the 1920s it was not seemly for a senior official of the Raj to gallivant about on a cycle. A horse or carriage was seen as a better way to maintain distance and underline class distinctions.

The other day, cycling home from work, a two-wheeler came up behind me on the left and honked several times. She then overtook me on the left and as she did, I felt compelled to ask why she had honked. (Since the traffic was heavy and it was not a wide road, we were all crawling along.) Her response was that she was warning me! Of what I still don’t know.

How big is your city? Growing up in Chennai, my knowledge and therefore idea of the city extended possibly between school, home, and a few other places I frequented. While this has expanded, I don’t think I realised how big it actually was. In October 2022, the media reported that the Tamil Nadu government had cleared a 5-fold expansion of the city - from 1189 km2 to 5904 km2. I was a bit shocked that my city was already 1189 km2 big and now had gotten even larger. 

Let’s take a moment to revisit our past, understand our present and look into our future. During my school days, until about 5th standard, my parents used to walk me to school. Gradually, my parents gained confidence in my traffic navigation abilities and let me cycle to school with a few friends from my neighbourhood. My normal routine after school involved playing in the local streets with my friends till dusk and getting back home when the street lights went on.