i. Transit Infrastructure
Auto-Rickshaw
Parked in a garage, on a servicing day, three rickshaws are talking to the each other about their everyday life and about their drivers and multiple users during different times of a day.
MH 47 BY (1912) is the oldest amongst its two friends MH 47 RT (4992) and MH 02 SR (2060) who are manufactured some couple of years ago. They have been meeting after a long time and they recollect their memory of coming together everyday at a particular spot and discussing events like their drivers
Baikuntha, Jagjivan and Manoj do.
1912 4992 2060
1912 4992 2060
1912: kaise aana hua? (For what work are you here for?) “Asks, 4992 and 2060”
4992: It was late afternoon, while I was parked in Laxmi Industrial Estate; Jagjivan had gone for lunch to his room. He usually parks me under the Asopalav tree, which is adjacent to the footpath among many such rickshaws, and also the street is empty during that time as most of the loading of goods happens in the morning itself.
I was having rest, when the aunty from one of the shops came to me and started to remove air from my rear tyre. “I wondered, why is she doing that?”
After a while, I heard her saying “good now that couple won’t hang around here”
It’s been around 3 years now and Jagjivan has a fixed place for parking me and I agree with the fact that the double lane parking becomes difficult for the vehicles to pass during that time, but it has been like that for years now. Also some shop owners are furious because these rickshaws acts as a barrier for them to look at the street and for the customers who come here to shop cant spot their shop.
During late afternoons some couples and boys who work here, come to smoke a cigarette, make out with each other and spend some time resting on the seats of rickshaws while placing their legs on the partition behind drivers seat.
During late afternoons some couples and boys who work here, come to smoke a cigarette, make out with each other and spend some time resting on the seats of rickshaws while placing their legs on the partition behind drivers seat.
They have been regular to this place because the scale of the rickshaw helps them to create a cozy space inside; the temperature is relatively less, as there are plenty of trees around that soften the quality of light inside. They sit in particular rickshaws, and I am one of them as there is another line of rickshaws that gets parked beside the line I am parked and that helps to create a screen for them to hide from the people they know. Also, during afternoons, shutters of the shops are closed for lunch break.
This space becomes active during afternoons when there is heat outside and for a very short period of time until Jagjivan is back from lunch. (He knows about these things but somehow lets these people sit in his rickshaw, may be because there is no such space for couples in the city to spend some time alone).
2060: “I do have a similar story”, replied to 1912 and 4992.
After driving many rickshaws, Manoj has managed to buy a flat in an apartment building. He usually parks me on the street, which is the access way to his building.
One day he found that the cloth of the passenger seat was torn. He got annoyed and tried to find who was the one that caused the damage. He asked the watchman who was completely unaware of what had happened.
Actually the seat had been wearing away for a long time before he realised it. It is the boys from his neighbourhood who have been gathering during late evenings and nights. They are usually four to five boys who come here regularly. Some of them are unemployed and some are studying in college. These boys have named their adda as 2060. Two boys sit on the drivers seat and three of them make space on the passenger’s seat. They make themselves very comfortable here by keeping their legs on the handle and the partition. Previously they used to only come here and talk about their affairs and gossip and sometimes did bird watching. But recently, Manoj has spotted some buds and empty bottles inside the rickshaw. They come from the nearby Gaothans and because of that they are like strangers to the community but are familiar to some. The streetlights are most of the time dysfunctional which helps them.
They use this space, as hideout for doing various activities and this is the time when Manoj has finished his duty and is with his family.
In the mornings, Manoj has to evacuate the dogs from under the rickshaw and cats that sleep on the passenger seats.
1912: In my case, Baikuntha never leaves me alone, only for a while he does park me outside the zunkha-bhakar while he has his food and while he goes to the toilet, but usually he goes when a passenger is there waiting in his rickshaw. He also has a particular waiting point where he has tea with his friends and waits for his next passenger at different points.
Baikuntha has a travelling home.
He is usually busy reaching his passengers on their particular destinations but during afternoons and nights, he rests on the passenger seat, lies down, takes a nap, reads newspaper and does many such things.
These rickshaws who have endless stories about their passengers are often excited when they meet. But apart from that, these similar looking vehicles have such diverse lives. And how these vehicles become a moment where people meet and spend their leisure time is the success of the hybridity it allows.
