KOZHIKODE: With a large number of new vehicles being added every day and the existing roads crying out for expansion with increased traffic congestion, it is high time for people to alter their outdated travel patterns and explore new ways to make human movement easier. Many prominent citizens pointed out that share autos, bicycle hiring points, circular city buses , online taxi services and bike taxis should be promoted in the city with the support of civic bodies and the district administration to ease traffic movement.
Noted industrialist C.E. Chakkunni told DC that one man travelling in an autorickshaw while many others were waiting for it to travel in the same direction was a waste of money. “There were many Utopian projects discussed in the past on the promotion of bicycles including hiring points, renting joints and collections centres for travelers. But nothing has materialized so far”, he added.
There are many cities where one can rent a bike and Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi have been experimenting with the concept. Online car hiring companies like Ola and Uber have already established a network in both these cities. Joint transport commissioner Rajeev Puthalath told DC that the transport department was promoting rent a taxi and also online taxi service providers. On the online taxi services, Mr Puthalath said that it was high time Kozhikode promoted a system which would be beneficial to society. “Here if one has to take a taxi at night he has to pay up to Rs 500 whereas if one hires a taxi in Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram, the fare would be less than half of it”, he said. “Concepts like share-auto also can be mooted as it would be beneficial for those living in cities”, he added.
