Wednesday 23 October 2013

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 215

Peace Auto rickshaws
23.10.2013, Mumbai 



 Bangalore city has come up with a terrific idea to promote peace and the mind behind it is Anil Shetty. When Shetty realised that auto rickshaw drivers in the city were becoming increasingly rude in behaviour, he thought of a way of preventing the constant cheating customers with meter tampering. Where hundreds of websites launched to complain against the rowdy drivers failed the 26 years old young author Anil Shetty was inspired to launch Peace Auto where he treats book lovers with mini library inside the vehicle to make their ride peaceful. Initially it seemed like an outrageous suggestion but after convincing some drivers he has trained them to become new peacekeepers of the city.

Their training includes the following: When a passenger gets inside the vehicle, they greet them with a smile and address them respectfully. Shetty says there are feelings of good vibrations because all the sides of the auto is branded with peace messages and inside the vehicle is reading literature and a very cheerful chauffer. The response to Peace Auto has been very positive but Anil Shetty is far from complacent with the compliments he receives. “Our motive is to get better and think ahead. We are now working to installing ‘Panic Button’ in the auto for women safety where every vehicle will have a tracking device.” That is not all the team has decided to initiate Best Auto Driver Awards where passengers will vote their choice in a sure systematic way.

I wonder what makes Anil Shetty so involved in the prosperity of the auto drivers. Is he planning a book on the life of an auto rickshaw driver? If he is it is a good plot and if not, thumbs up to his noble work.

Bhawana Somaaya/ @ bhawansomaaya



No comments:

Post a Comment