On 10/13/07, shiv sastry <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Saturday 13 Oct 2007 12:36 pm, Deepa Mohan wrote: > > I cycle quite a lot, > > Some years ago, when I enthusiastically mooted getting a cycle each for my > kids Shashi (my wife, for those who don't know) pointed out that in Bangalore > the only people who seriously use bicycles for transport are carpenter's > assistants or general odd job boys/delivery boys. I noticed hat this was > generally true only when I started looking out for bicycle users. > > In Bangalore a bicycle is a bad idea.
Well..if more of "us" started to cycle, that profile of cycle users would change, wouldn't it? Indeed you are right, I find myself in an assorted company of general odd job men at traffic signals. But why does that make the bicycle a bad idea? > > I personally think ...That is the > way things work in India. That is not a valid argument Shiv. We can try our best to change the way things work, instead of saying that's the way things work, that's the way things have been done, and perpetuate the problem. A lot of our ills, I think, are traceable to this "that's the way it is" attitude. > > I once decided to go to hospital (Mallige) in an AC Volvo bus. I got where I > wanted to go in 25 minutes. But the journey back home entailed a wait of 1 > hour for a bus because I refuse to travel in anything less than an AC Volvo. > Never tried that again. Precisely what I am trying to say. It there is a good public transport network in place, the substitution of public transport for private will work. If there is a minus to the user in terms of comfort or, more importantly, conveninece and time, it won't. The person who is used to a car in India finds that in Singapore, public transport is as convenient, and a lot cheaper, than using a car. A person in India, who wants to switch from a car to buses, should have the same experience..."why, this is quite comfortable, and easier, and less expensive". Deepa.
