Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Shared shuttle/van services in Chennai - hard to find!



I recently moved to a new job and my office is in Thoraipakkam, now. For the last 2 weeks, I have been desperately looking at various commute options to work. Right now, I'm driving my own car and I end up spending approximately 2 hours on the road everyday. The following are some options that I'm exploring:

Also read: Self-adjusting traffic - a miracle on Indian Roads

1) Employing a driver - Costs approximately Rs.10,000 a month. However, the driver wouldn't have anything to do during the day time and he would just idle around in the car park. Moreover, I don't want him to sleep in my car or switch-on the A/C (i.e., engine) when the car is not in motion. I'm afraid of the problems that may come with the driver :)

2) Renting a driver - Renting a driver to and fro also costs approximately the same money. There are a number of "call a driver" services in Chennai. They charge approximately Rs.250 for 4 hours. However, I do not want different drivers to drive my car everyday. Moreover, I'm worried about 'how they would handle' my car and the safety aspects (Since, they are typically paid by the hour, I'm afraid that they may drive fast)

3) Using Call Taxi services - This option works out to be very expensive for now. I am thinking of considering this as a last resort.

Also read: Driving on Indian roads - pleasure or pain?

4) Bus Services - There are indeed a few Chennai MTC buses connecting my home with my office. However, getting a seat in the bus is not guaranteed and I can't imagine standing with my laptop and lunch bag for an hour :)

5) Shared shuttle services - A number of IT companies are running their own shuttle services for employees. They subsidize the transportation cost for their employees. I do see a number of private vans/vehicles carrying passengers on the road in the morning and in the evening. However, an Internet search doesn't reveal any of those services. I did get a couple of leads through my contacts, however they are not operating from Choolaimedu/Nelson Manickam Road to Thoraipakkam. I am still on the lookout for Shared Shuttle/Van/Cab Services. If you know of any, keep me informed :)

1 comment:

  1. 2 things: Here's a link on share autos in Chennai if you're looking for info. http://muddledup.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/a-dummies-guide-to-surviving-a-share-auto-ride-in-chennai/

    Also, google shows share auto stands there. Doesn't look like there are any to your side of the hood, but if you take a few rides in the same auto, I'm almost certain you could find a guy who you can convince to pick you up with a good pay.

    The other much desired alternative, but one nevertheless -- I know this is a scary scary thought but if you're brave unlike me (just been 3 weeks since I returned to India from the US!) maybe a 2 wheeler could solve this issue?! I've just started tracking your blog - LOVE what you're doing here but am not sure if you've posted about never touching a 2 wheeler (I certainly can't summon the courage for that yet!). If you haven't that might be the answer to max. control min. dependence on a non-existent infrastructure for this kind of transport there.

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