India with its billion and a quarter plus people has a great challenge of having its citizens move around daily. Indians use all modes of transport including private ones like bicycles, scooters, motorbikes and cars. However, an overwhelming part of Indian population prefers public transport. Indian towns and cities have buses, trains and metro trains for movement within cities. Also taxis and three-wheeled auto-rickshaws (autos for short) to facilitate personal transport. With all available options it is still a challenge in India to find a seat in a vehicle and that is where Jugaad comes in.
Jugaad is a crude form of innovation, a quick fix and mostly not very elegant. In transportation, Indians have a work around the non-avaialbailty of enough taxis or auto rickshaws. The ones which ply at Mumbai for example are shared giving rise to the phrases ‘shared taxi’ and shared ‘auto rickshaws’. Both these typically originate or terminate at bus or train or metro stations. However, the concept can be found implemented anywhere in India as shortage of transport is a nationwide phenomenon.
In the Mumbai region where I live the ten rupee (about fifteen US cents) shared fare is common. So autos take in three passengers (maximum seating possible) and make them all pay ten rupees each for a ride of short distances. Sometimes, auto rickshaw drivers also accommodate 2 additional passengers on both sides of the driver’s seat, a practice not legal and also not safe.
Shared taxi and auto rides are a peculiar Indian innovation driven by shortage of rides available and also by the Indian habit of maximising value for their money.