Photo: diametrikA reader named Abhishek Rawat writes in to describe, and then solve, a puzzle he has noticed in his native India:
In India all major cities have public transport vehicles called autorickshaws. They are mounted on three wheels, operate on very low horsepower, and have a center of gravity that allows them to swivel in impossible twists around the traffic. In short, they’re the perfect transportation vehicle for people who do not have a personal transport and do not wish to take the bus.
The case I point to is the curious behavior of autorickshaw drivers in Mumbai and Delhi, or rather the difference between them.
According to law, autorickshaw drivers must only go by the meter reading that is reported after a commuter’s trip is finished. However in Delhi, there are hardly any autorickshaw drivers who go by this law, and instead they quote nefariously high prices. In Mumbai though, no matter what the time of the day or night, the drivers go by the meter.
I am from Delhi and live in Mumbai now, and I just love the Mumbai driver way that is honest and forthright. The reason that I came up with for explaining the difference is that it can not be a cultural phenomenon. Since autorickshaw drivers consist of the mix of race, class, and caste in both Delhi and Mumbai, cultural upbringing can be nullified as a reason. What can be the reason, though, is the number of people who use rickshaws in Mumbai compared to Delhi. Mumbai’s prime mode of transport is public services, of which rickshaws form a major component. So you would find Mumbai overpopulated with not only people, but also rickshaws. Delhi, though populous, is far greater in size, and alternatives always exist for rickshaws; hence their numbers pale in comparison to those in Mumbai.
I figured that since competition in Mumbai is so high, if all rickshaw drivers compete with each other to quote low prices, they all will make losses. Hence, they all follow the government mandate and quote only the meter-reading prices. However in Delhi, where there is not such huge competition, drivers actually “play the customer” with the customer and quote high prices and attract the ire of the public.
So in essence, the same pool of people in the same line of business behave differently under different economic conditions and are therefore perceived differently by the public. Is it then that economics can shape human behavior, which in turn can later shape business practices? For example, if tomorrow the metro is introduced in Mumbai, cutting hundreds of autorickshaw jobs, would the rickshaw drivers still go by the meter reading? Something to ponder about!
I like Abhishek’s theory just fine. I’d also consider at least three more possibilities:
1. Difference in enforcement of the law and associated penalties in Mumbai vs. Delhi.
2. Whether drivers are independent or belong to fleets, and if perhaps those fleets have strong relationships with enforcement agency/ies.
3. Although Abhishek discounts “culture” since “autorickshaw drivers consist of the mix of race, class, and caste in both Delhi and Mumbai,” this doesn’t mean that one city’s professional culture doesn’t differ entirely from another. Many things happen in New York — jaywalking, e.g. — that don’t happen in other U.S. cities.
But I’m sure there are many other possible explanations. For those who know, or care to guess, please illuminate us. Do recall that not all transportation in Mumbai reeks of such honesty; earlier, we learned that some train travelers who ride the trains without tickets buy insurance against the possible penalty of getting caught riding without said ticket.
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Bangalore auto drivers charge whatever they please because there is no competition. You will often have to negotiate with the driver prior to getting. Also, heaven forbid you don’t speak Kannada – 70% of Bangaloreans don’t.
In Mumbai you have taxis, bus, metro, etc, so the auto drivers are well behaved.
In Kolkata, auto drivers are restricted to a pre-determined route and take multiple riders (like a tiny bus). This is an inefficient use for an auto, and is likely done to increase employment in the state.
There is plenty of jaywalking in other large cities. In most cities, jaywalking is more dangerous because they allow right turns on red lights.
I can tell you as a foreigner that has lived briefly in both cities, that I didn’t think those meters served any purpose at all – anywhere. I have had to haggle over every rickshaw ride I have ever taken. Good to know if I ever go back to Mumbai, that I can demand they use the meter.
Although variations in law enforcement and competition may account for this difference, I wouldn’t dismiss local custom or cultural variations. They can be powerful.
I’ve spent a lot of time in NYC, and lived almost a year in West LA. Pedestrian behavior in these two cities couldn’t be more different. In West LA everyone — and I do mean everyone! — always obeys the lights. In many months of walking almost everywhere, I can count on one hand the number of jaywalking events I saw there. People will stand stock-still, waiting for the light to change, even where there’s no car in sight. And the few times I saw jaywalking, it was raining (yes, it rains in LA, and it rains thunderously), which explains the change in behavior.
NYC is not this way, as I’m sure many readers of this blog already know.
I’m not sure law enforcement practice accounts for this difference, since I’ve never seen law enforcement ticket anyone for jaywalking in either place. It’s possible that there may have been strict enforcement in West LA prior to my arrival, which changed people’s behavior (maybe they fear another wave of enforcement) … but I have no idea if this is the case.
Given that there are many other cultural differences between NYC and West LA — and the fact that I never heard about any past strict enforcement of walking laws, which suggests that there is no “memory of enforcement” encouraging people to obey walk signals — I suspect that law enforcement practices are not the cause.
As a native from Pune, a city south of Mumbai, where rickshaws are the best mode of transport, I have this to offer. In Mumbai, the rickshaws are not allowed to ply in the South Mumbai district. They are restricted to the “suburbs”and are mostly serving people who are beyond walking distances from the train lines.
So I think that Abhishek has it right that its the competition for customers in a restricted market that is enforcing the meter discipline.
What about the crime rates in one city vs another? Frequency of pick-pocketing?
I come from a third world country where taxis play a major transportation role in big cities. Unlike in NYC, the taxis have designated routes; they don’t move until they have full occupancy; their fare is set by the government and it goes up once every couple of years. You can however pay extra in advance (they call it a contract which costs about 10x) to convince the driver to
1) ride with less than full occupancy
2) take any route of your choice
People rarely resort to the latter unless they need taxi services at night, have security concerns or need to get somewhere fast.
I remember reading that the official fares in Delhi were too low for the drivers to make any decent profit with it, which makes it quite understandable that – in Delhi at least – Riskshaw drivers don’t use their meters.
I remember being surprised by the different situation in Bombay. Drivers won’t always be willing to take you where you want to go but when they are, you usually just have to jump in the vehicule and pay by the meter without having to negociate anything.
I guess that if it is the case, that means that the fare in Mumbai is high enough for the drivers to accept it.
If the difference in the profit allowed by official fare is verified, it looks as a solid enough explanation for me.
Back to Delhi, I also remember that there were some short periods where Rickshaw drivers behaved very differently. They would all wear the -supposedly- mandatory uniform and the meters would work. But a few months later it would be back to business as usual : endless negociations with rags-wearing drivers. Enforcement can do something, but only a sustainable regulation can be sustained.
different reference groups.