The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : The 10-rupee taxi ride

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 17, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

The 10-rupee taxi ride

Believe it or not, it will be a pleasant drive for you for just Rs.10 by a taxi, to reach a temple five km away from Tiruchi, where `kumbhabishekam' is to be performed on Friday.

You get this comfort on earth at a place where frequent bus service is not available, sparing you of needlessly waiting for a town bus under the scorching sun.

Tiruppattur, an otherwise sleepy village off Siruganaur on the Chennai - Tiruchi highway, is bustling with activity for the past few days in the wake of the temple festival to be conducted there.

So, it is a hey day for taxi drivers who adopt `share taxi' system, which came into vogue in the area years ago, to benefit the devotees who turn out in good numbers, especially on Mondays.

The return fare is still cheaper — Rs. Five a head. On the lines of `share taxi,' a number of auto-rickshaw drivers have started similar services.

Merchants from adjoining towns and villages, who had put up makeshift stalls around the temple, use the facility for transporting bundles of snacks, vegetables, fruits, dates and what not.

Several rural youth clubs of Tiruppatur and adjoining villages too are busy making arrangements for supply of protected water, cultural programmes etc.

in Tiruchi

From M. Balaganessin in Tiruchi

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