Derided by Delhi, autos earn foreign praise

NEW DELHI: As the capital played host to the XIXth Commonwealth Games, the ubiquitous ‘Dilli’ autorickshaw seems to have caught the fancy of foreigners who were in the city to be a part of the big show.
No wonder then that in the past fortnight, the foreign media has been flooded with odes or write-ups which carry a mention of our humble mode of mass commute.
Our very own auto made its appearance at the closing ceremony of Games too as it carried Shera, the Games mascot, around the stadium as the tiger bid goodbye to the city.
Foreign journalists who were in the city to cover the various sporting events have written about the effective public transport provided to them. But several journos still opted to take autos instead to reach the stadia from their hotels for the ‘‘thrill’’.
The Toronto Star called the autos ‘Chariot to the Games’ and observed: ‘‘They’re part go-kart, part lawnmower, part bumper car, little green and yellow three-wheeled autorickshaws that were the unofficial transportation system for reporters at the Commonwealth Games. The organizers laid on buses and they ran pretty much on schedule, but it was hard to beat the convenience not to mention exhilaration of riding in a wide-open rickshaw.’’ The journalist had taken autos to reach the SP Mukherjee Aquatic Complex for flat two Canadian dollars.
The Canadian Press termed autos as ‘‘coffins on three wheels’’ and read: ‘‘On the sidewalk, Singh (auto driver) is humble and soft spoken. Behind the wheel of his autorickshaw, however, he turns into a kamikaze. He manoeuvres through traffic like a NASCAR driver, missing bumpers and front fenders by millimetres. Singh barely slows for crosswalks, sending pedestrians scattering.’’ Auto horns have been described as the most powerful contraption on the vehicle, which is just a few horsepower and drives at average speeds of 25 to 30 kmph.
The downsides — the risky ride and exposure to pollution — have been written about too. ‘‘At first glance to a rookie in India it seemed a dangerous way to travel, but worries quickly disappeared after one or two rides. These drivers know what they’re doing. They skillfully squeeze between cars and buses while dodging ever present potholes, pedestrians, cyclists, stray dogs and even cows. Jeff Gordon or Michael Schumacher have nothing on these guys,’’ wrote Toronto Star.
He added: ‘‘What’s probably most at risk are a passenger’s lungs. Totally exposed to the traffic, it feels like sucking on an exhaust pipe for most of the ride. You learn to hold your breath.’’
megha.suri@timesgroup.com