I did it! I took the Public Bus in India!



On Tuesday, my Professor of my Class, Caste, Gender class gave me a ride home. He explained to me the bus system and told me which bus to take and where to get it. I was feeling confident so I took the bus today to meet my carpool to go to the University.

I have had it with Ola (equivalent to Uber) canceling on me last minuted and me trying to scramble to meet my carpool. Prior to today, I would call a rickshaw driver that has always helped me out in a pinch. The trouble is that he charges me more than an Ola and is always negotiating a price and I really don't like that and I know how much the trip should cost according to Ola.

I now will always use the bus to meet my carpool for several reasons:

1. There is no hassle and it is convenient.
2. It comes on time and frequently.
3. Roundtrip it costs less than a $1 where as I was paying anywhere between $4.50 to $5.50 using Ola or an auto rickshaw.

The system is interesting. There is a bus driver and a ticket person. Which is a good thing here since the driving is crazy. Sometimes there is another person that has a whistle to inform the driver to stop. Women sit in the front and men sit in the back. In the morning it was easy. I said where I needed to go, and they understood and the b us number was clearly visible on the outside. Inside the bus there was a digital sign that would show the stops. Easy. I got there very quickly and easily.

On my trip home it was a very different story and I had to take 2 buses. I took a shuttle from the University to this other site. When I got off there, I did not see any bus stop or a sign. I just saw a group of people looking like they were waiting for a bus so I waited with them. When the bus came, there were no real signs or numbers just a guy hanging out the door dressed in a public brown uniform (it is the uniform to know they work for the public transportation department). I asked him if he was going to my stop, he said yes and I hopped on, hoping for the best. it worked. I got to the stop and transferred to another bus. This one did not even look like a public bus and there was only a door at the back. I asked the lady in the brown uniform and she said yes, so I hopped on, hoping for the best. This bus had music on it and lots of flashing lights that adorned several Hindu Gods. And the lady was very nice and told me the correct name for my stop and I got home. Well actually I was dropped off at the corner of our street and I just had to walk about 2 minutes.

Thank goodness for my Professor. Without his detailed instructions and the names of stops, it would not have been possible. I tried to look at the website and I downloaded the app, but it did not work so easily or I did not know how to navigate it. It felt so liberating to take the bus independently and not feel the pressure of the cost of the transportation. The price was the price and no one argued or tried to get more money from me.





Morning Bus with digital signage

My ticket and cost. Please note that it is Rs. 70 to $1.


Afternoon bus with no signage














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