The distance between the starting point (SBC station) and end point (Yelahanka junction) is about 15.4 km, but would take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to cover during peak Bengaluru traffic hours. This particular auto driver approached Adil, claiming to help him board the train at the next station. By this time, the time was already 1:50 PM, with the train set to arrive at the Yelahanka station at 2:20 PM.
The auto driver demanded a fare of Rs 2,500 for two passengers, but asked them to only pay him if they manage to reach the station in time for the train’s arrival. “The next 25 minutes we experienced the most crazy auto drive ever. The driver zoomed past traffic and took as many shortcuts as possible. He even waved past some of his friends who were in the same pursuit to catch the train for some other passengers like us,” recalls Adil.
He says that they managed to reach the Yelahanka station by 2:15 PM itself, with five minutes left to spare before the train’s arrival. The passenger claims that the auto driver waits at the SBC station for people like him who are late for their train, and then challenges to reach the next stop before the train 20-25 – thereby earning Rs 2,500 per trip. Adil says that he contemplated booking a flight but it would cost him thrice the fare that the auto driver was demanding, and his 2AC ticket would also have gone to waste.
Even though the story sounds astounding and as the concerned passenger puts it, an “opportunity in disaster”, TOI Auto urges its readers not to encourage such acts that put not only yours but the lives of other road users in danger. It’s pretty evident that the auto driver broke multiple traffic rules to reach the next stop in time, even faster than the train itself. Weaving through traffic, exceeding speed limits, changing lanes are all dangerous acts and should never be practiced or promoted.