The first of the autos rolled out towards the end of 1957 under the banner of the Bachchraj Trading Corporation before the company was renamed Bajaj Auto. According to corporate lore, the term ‘autorickshaw’ was coined by N K Firodia as an improvement over the manual rickshaws in many parts of the country. The government initially licensed the company to make 1000 autos a year.

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Faced with the clampdown on overloading and imposition of the three plus one (driver) norm, autorickshaws in the city seem to have turned to fleecing passengers in the name of compensating their fare loss.

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Pic of the week is Life is an Auto Rickshaw

Pic of the week is the Auto Rickshaw Cabriolet

Auto-rickshaw drivers in Chennai have a history of overcharging and behave like rash and hard, using rigged meters, and exploting foreign passengers, although they are ubiquitous and possibly the easiest form of transportation to locate. Use only for short distances (if you know exactly how far you are going). Before talking to auto person ask any local person what the actual fare should be, because if you don’t know, they might ask for up to 3 times more.

If you want to travel by the auto, stick to these rules:

• Don’t go by the meter (if they have one) – the meter is rigged to show a higher fare

• Negotiate a rate with the driver beforehand. Try to stick to the agreed price, though the driver may attempt to ask for more.

• Consult local friends beforehand to find out reasonable market prices for the distance you intend to go.

• Try to hail individual auto rickshaws in traffic which are heading in the general direction of your destination and avoid those parked in groups as they may try to gang-up on you.

On a side note – if you are fascinated by the idea of going around in an auto, think about all those foreigners, who are riding an auto from Chennai to Mumbai. A Chennai based event management company, Chennai Event Management Services, has been having these autorickshaw rallies from Chennai to Mumbai, or Kanyakumari, etc., and has developed a great fan following for the same…YES that’s us!

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Pic of the week is the School Rickshaw

For all the auto rickshaw fanatics out there who cannot get enough of the little three wheeled devil, here u go:

Desi Auto 

Autos are simple, and so must their games be.  Swerve your auto through the city in a race with other autos

Hey Taxi

Pick up and drop passengers. Earn points, which can’t redeemed for anything.

Raju Meter 2

Auto rickshaw missions, a bit similar to the original ‘Auto’ game – Grand Theft Auto.

          

 

 

 

Auto Rickshaw Showdown

A 3 D Auto rickshaw game. Drag racing meets ‘Pimp my Auto’.

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Pic of the week is the Coconut Rickshaw

It’s party time for the brits:

The humble auto-rickshaw that is ubiquitous on Indian streets has become increasingly visible in Britain, with Worcestershire becoming the latest county to grant it a licence.

For some years, this cheaper form of transport, better known as the ‘tuk-tuk’, has been in operation in areas such as Brighton town and parts of London.

Its operation, however, has been controversial. 

Taxi owners who had been facing losses due to auto-rickshaws complained about its safety and environment aspects, but recent reports indicate that this form of transport, imported mostly from India, is gaining in popularity.  

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Mangalore press, all over the Mumbai Xpress 2009:

An auto rickshaw rally titled ‘Mumbai Express’, driven by the motto, ‘freedom through education’, was organized by the city unit of  Round Table – 115 organization under the aegis of Mangalore Ladies Circle in the city on Thursday August 6.

‘Round Table’ is an apolitical youth organization, members of which are aged between 18 and 40 years. The organization aims at imbibing among the youth, the noble qualities like service, honour and dignity, at both national and international level.

The organization, under its motto, ‘freedom through education’, strives to provide infrastructural facilities like buildings, basic amenities, educational facilities, health services and other programmes that benefit the children of the primary schools, the organizers said.

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