Radhika Nanda tweeted a Gustavo Petrol quote this morning, which goes like this
" A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars, it's place where rich use public transportation"
Two days back, A Facebook friend Jeanne Kennedy Nanda, who is at Eton, but has studied at Frank Anthony Public School, where her late Dad taught, posted a picture of Delhi-Gurgaon(it could be Delhi-Faridabad DND flyover as well)
Traffic Jam & Huge number of private cars on the road.
To which I replied thus
Me: Are you in Delhi Jeanne?
Jeanne: No VenuG whenever I am in Delhi, I shall meet you for sure
Me:
Jeanne I refuse to buy a Car.
Though I can
afford an SUV/Sedan 😀
A) There's no
space to park in my official quarters.
B) No
parking space anywhere.
C) Suppose I go
shopping with Shree, I need to keep driving while
Shree shops. Or go to Malls where parking is 30
bucks an hour & the prices of commodities are
higher.
D) I reduce pollution.
E) Avoid traffic
jams.
F) I myself drive a motorbike & slide past
traffic in a jiffy.
G) During busy traffic days leave
my bike at home. Take an auto to nearest metro
station Jatin Das Park, get down & Central Metro
& Walk or take a tram(luckily Kolkata has one)
Tricks of trade.
H) The only time I take a Cab is
when I go out with Shree!!!
I) For example, when I last visited Jaipur , I
had a busy work day, and I had to come back home from work, which is 7 Kilometres, little distance at other places but tough for Kolkata(Dalhousie to Ballygunge through Metro channel known for its political rally traffic snarls & pack my luggage & only then go to Airport to catch my 20:40 Indigo flight(who are so punctual that they call it "Indigo Standard Time" I was late to start from office due to a last minute meeting & relieving party to a colleague who received sudden transfer order & relief instruction. As I am the branch head I had to be present. I took a Cab home thikthinking that there was enough time called my wife to pack couple of dresses.
There was a rally linked traffic jam. I got down from my Cab, ignored taking a bus, I took a metro to Dumdum , then an auto, and then paid a private taxi Rs100 from Outside airport to Departure Terminal of Netaji Subhash Airport Domestic Terminal.
I reached the Airport in 35 minutes & had still 30 minutes spare time to check in. Normally at peak hours it takes 2 hours to Airport from my office.
Had I been snobbish & impractical I'd have missed the flight for sure.
bought luggage & clothes from Jaipur at
Rs5000(saved 800 Cab fare & 6000 flight. Even
David Cameron takes a tube. These ego's are
useless. One has to be pragmatic.
Modes of Transport In Kolkata
A) From Airport Cab only if neccesary (with new 110 Rupee parking fee)
Come out to main road a kilometre (travel light with a strolley bag or a backpack)
Take a bus.
B) From Howrah/Sealdah Railway Station.
Howrah come out cross the road take a Ferry across to Babughat from 8-8 Monday to Saturday 2-8 on Sunday.
Sealdah Auto/Bus
C) Otherwise local mode
I) Motorbike
II) Mini/Blue/CSTC White/JNURM Volvo AC buses.
III) Auto to nearest Metro/Circular Then Metro/Rail
Note during Bandh Rail is affected Metro NEVER. During Bandh Hartal Strikes Auto & Metro never stop.
IV) in Old City Ballygunge to Kidderpore to Tollygunge to Esplanade to Mechua(Bars Bazaar) snail paved slow moving but moving anyway trams YES KOLKATA IS THE ONLY CITY WITH TRAMS.
V) Walk, Cycle, Unicycle, Pogo Stick small distances. In 700001-6 walk is the best & happiest way to commute & fastest. 😁😊😋😝😀
Happy Commute In Kolkata
Cholbe Nna to Cholchey Cholbey
Asun Taratari .
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