CHENNAI: Change, as anywhere else, is a constant in Chennai. IT has taken over the outer fringes of the city. Metros compete with the suburban trains, and there’s a musical revolution during the December season. But there are some things that haven’t changed. For example, a college student’s way of commuting. From taking a Pallavan bus to college, he/she gets his first scooter or motorbike. When they get a promotion, they buy their first car. Imagine if every student in the city with his/her own bike after college, and then a car.
Did you know that Chennai has 3.7 million vehicles and the highest vehicle density (vehicles per km of road) in India? This means that there are a fewer people in more cars, leading to congestion and more time spent on the roads, waiting for the traffic to clear. What if we could reverse this? And how?
Make shared mobility comfortable: With just 2 seasons — summer and monsoon — commuting in Chennai can be a daunting proposition. Services like Uber provide the comfort of an AC vehicle without the hassle of owning one.
Make it simple to get a ride: The ability to book rides at the tap of a button, knowing the fares upfront and seamless payment options in-app add to the convenience of hailing a shared ride.
Promote the use public transit systems: By reducing walking distances and providing seamless first/last mile connectivity to mass transit facilities, Uber promotes the use of local trains, metros and buses in the city. This also significantly reduces the need for building new public parking spaces.
Remain affordable: With fares that are upto 50% cheaper than regular rides, thousands of riders will not just save time, but also money if they pool their ride with people travelling in the same direction.
Today, it takes you 90 minutes to get to Tidel Park from Nungambakkam High Road. What if commuters travelling the same way could share the same vehicle? You’d probably take half the time to reach your destination — more people in fewer cars means fewer cars on the road!
(The writer is general manager, Uber, Chennai)