Driving urban mobility, hostility: An auto story

Experts say what makes autorickshaws so indispensable in Indian cities — unlike in most global metros — is their sheer adaptability.

Autorickshaws were once the defining Delhi motif, often seen on book covers and tourist souvenirs. Over the decades, however, they’ve spread far beyond the Capital, becoming common fixtures in other metro cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune, and others. Today, it’s hard to imagine any Indian city without them.

Data shows that there are an estimated 1.5–2 million autorickshaws operating across Indian cities. (HT Photo)

What hasn’t changed, though, is their notoriety.

Delhi’s autowallahs have a reputation for charging exorbitant fares, refusing rides, behaving rudely, or worse. But commuters in Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune and in