Sure, the number of automobiles on Indian roads has dramatically increased in the last 20 years but it still pales in comparison to the urban steeds that zip past lumbering 4-wheelers, zig & zag through gnarling traffic, and frustrate pedestrians when they get on the pavements in a bid to weave traffic jams. I’m referring of course to the timeless 2-wheelers of India – ranging from the venerable Bajaj scooters (a vanishing breed) to the automatic transmission scooters (Honda Activa & its kin) to the Royal Enfield Bullet (India’s Harley Davidson) to the ever evolving crop of 100cc/125cc/150cc motorcycles from Hero Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki & the indigenous Bajaj to the scooty (TVS-50 et al).
Between the LML Vespa scooter I used to ride in Jamshedpur (1992-94) and the Suzuki GS-700ES I used to ride during my Chicago years (1995-1998), I have fond memories of the ‘wind in my hair’ whether I used a Studds or a Shoei helmet. It may thus surprise the reader to discover that the rest of this blog (the photographs I’ve collated in the past 3 months) have nothing to do with ‘riding into the sunset’ motorcycle rider. Rather, it is about the diverse type (& number) of passengers and cargo that are laden behind the 2-wheeler’s driver. The concept of a ‘pillion’ itself is redefined in India – you can have a mom & two kids sitting in the traditional pillion seat or you can have 2-3 kids sitting on top of the motorcycle’s tank or you can have a 4-10 year old kid standing on the front footboard of a scooter. In my first month in Bangalore, I even saw a scooter-driving mom with an infant in a Baby Bjorn equivalent sling – I was too shocked to whip out my trusty camera in time. With all these examples, shouldn’t we call the urban Indian steeds as MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle)?
I present to you a few urban steeds in the din and roar of the Indian roads living up to their multi-purpose image.
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Good one Vishy.
Yesterday I happened to watch the movie Roman Holiday. It shows Rome of the mid fifties. There is a great scene with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck on a Vespa – creating a huge ruckus on the streets. There is also a scene where they show a whole family on a scooter – pop driving with mother and 2 kids – something quite common to us in present day India.
Prateep,
Talking about whole family on a scooter… for the first 6 years of my life, we were pretty much a ‘family of 5′ on a Bajaj 150 (not the roomiest Bajaj in the 70’s) on the Bokaro roads. Apparently the family configuration was something like this – due to seniority, my brother had the most coveted spot (standing on the front foot board with the ‘wind in his hair’), my sister (again due to seniority) sat in between my dad & mom and the baby of the family (me) was clutched securely in mom’s lap.