We have been in India for about 2 weeks now, about a week of it in Chennai. Getting around in Chennai to visit friends and family or attending music concerts during the December season requires transportation as we do not have our own vehicle. This is about my brief experience.
Metro is Fantastic
The good news is that the Chennai Metro service is fabulous. It is clean, timely and gets you from place to place much faster than any other means. I have taken it a few times from the Ashok Nagar station to various other locations, such as Thirumangalam, Central Station/Ripon Building etc. I want to try out some of the other routes and plan to take one to Alandur and switch to the line that runs to the beach to get off in the Thirumaylai station.
I am not sure how the locals feel about the cost, but for me it seems very reasonable. Ashok Nagar to Thirumangalam one way costs Rs 30 and to Central costs Rs 40. The wayfinding in the stations are fabulous and it is very accessible for those with handicaps. There are "lifts" in all stations and escalators. "Lifts" can be operated without the use of hands (a COVID time innovation). There is a pedal you press to get the elevator to come to the floor you are in. Once you get in, no need to press any buttons as it stops in each floor (maximum of 4 I have seen). Of course, unless you are the fidgety type and you want the doors to close faster.
I just LOVE traveling by them.
The catch - even the Ashok Nagar station is 15 minutes by walk from where we are staying and the lines and stops are carefully selected based on likely demand. As a result, you will not find that it covers the entire gamut, which is a near impossibility anyways. Sometimes you can take an auto to a nearby station and then hop on the metro.
Ride Hailing Services - A Disaster!
I hate them! But they are a necessary evil for reasons I mentioned above.
- They just don't work as intended. I get it that it will never work in India the way it works in western countries, but it is a mess.
- Typically, you go to the app and ask for a vehicle. It takes a good chunk of time to get one, so build enough lead time. It is easier to get one if the distances are longer and you want to get to some of the more popular spots (where they can get other riders).
- Always, the driver calls after accepting the ride to make sure that you are paying cash! OK, I do, but forcing me to do this is a failure of the system. Drivers always have a story to tell as to how if it is any other method, the money first goes to Uber or Ola and it takes them a lot of time to credit the drivers the money. They also complain that the division of money between them and these companies are unfair. OK, then why did you sign up with Uber or Ola?
- I never get cars that look anything like what they portray in the app. More often than not, they are beat up cars, with seats torn, very little or no A/C (despite the fact we ask for a vehicle with one), and one thing I can't stand - they are smelly (so I double mask at an additional cost to me).
- Regardless of the vehicle you get, soon after accepting the ride, in addition to confirming the payment as cash, they ask you what is the app showing as the payment. Apparently they don't see it. This drives me up the wall and I refuse to say it. Some cancel the ride and move on.
- Depending on how desperate I am, I ask them how much do they think the ride is worth and if it is within a reasonable range I tell them no problem, even if it is higher.
- When I go alone, I really prefer autos. They are airy, and air washes off any bad smells for the most part, except when you are stuck in traffic and the smell of the surroundings is an issue. Mask handles it. In auto you encounter external smells infrequently due to things like open sewers nearby or Koovam etc. which no one can control.
- Every single time, the driver will tell us that due to metro they are being diverted and it costs them petrol and "ஏதாவது பாத்து குடுங்க சார்". Well, when you accepted the ride, did you not know this???
- I always pay them more than what the app says, but it irks me that they have these excuses to ask for more that makes no sense. I double what the app says if the driver does not call me to ask what the app says or has a sob story. So far this has happened twice.
- Now, why this whole thing sucks in addition - these companies are doing a disservice to the drivers. When a ride from KK Nagar to Mylapore in an auto is priced at Rs 130, I feel it is really low. The local folks, please don't shoot me if you feel othersie.
- I understand it is demand pricing, but even at peak I have seen this go only to Rs 180 or so. Uber is worse than Ola in lowballing these. As a result my success rate in finding a ride is far better in Ola than Uber.
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