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Hey Auto!

Photo: S. Thanthoni

Novel attempt Aravind Bremanandam

Pitted roads. Desert sands. Hilly terrain. Hairpin bends. The Budapest to Bamako rally (also called ‘The Great African Run’) tests driving skills. For most participants, this annual trans-Saharan rally is an addiction. But no amount of e xperience seems to equip them for the chaotic traffic encountered in and around Morocco. Most of the drivers don’t leave this leg of the rally without their cars getting scratched or dented.

In the 2006 edition, an Indian stood out for the ease with which he handled the traffic. Humungous vehicles had packed the road and the rally cars could move only by the inch. Unfazed, Aravind Bremanandam (in a 1974 Soviet Lada) wove through the traffic, taking advantage of every small opening.

In the evening, Aravind was the subject of great curiosity. Into a software business that required him to alternate between Budapest and Chennai, Aravind sang the praises of our autorickshaw drivers. “This traffic is nothing compared to what you find in Chennai,” he boasted to the group that hung on to his words.

He promised to give them a feel of driving autorickshaws through the Indian countryside. He kept his word. Later in the year, the “Indian Autorickshaw Challenge”, a Chennai to Kanyakumari rally, was organised.

With painted designs and accessories, the autorickshaws were given a dash of flamboyance (Now, the teams can smarten up their autos by shopping at www.pimpmyshaw.com). The participants themselves went through makeovers. Dressed like dukes, princesses, wizards and what not, they played many roles. The rally lived up to its tagline — “An amazing rally for the clinically insane.”

It was patterned on the Great African Run — it was not a “cookie-cutter” tour and was committed to charity. Not much time was spent at regular tourist spots. Participants were encouraged to spend time in villages. An ‘Adopt-A-Village’ programme, woven into the rally, provided the participants an incentive to voluntarily raise funds for the villages they visited. A voluntary organisation (Rotary International was involved in the first rally) handled the charity part.

Following this rally’s success, the auto challenge expanded. A longer rally from Chennai to Mumbai was added. Now, there are two standard rallies — Classic Run (Chennai to Kanyakumari) and the Mumbai Express (Chennai to Mumbai). Other rallies on different routes, happen from time to time.

Examples include a three-day Carnatic Ride (touches places such as Kancheepuram and Gingee) and The Malabar Rampage (Chennai to Kerala and back). IT triangle (Chennai to Hyderabad to Bangalore and back to Chennai) is on the cards.

Aravind set up Chennai Event Management Services (CEMS) primarily to organise these auto rallies. Now, it organises other auto-related events. To attend to the demands of CEMS, Aravind now spends most of his time in Chennai. He occasionally organises rallies outside the country — such as “The Caucasian Challenge” ( www.caucasianchallenge.com), which is about driving through conflict-ridden areas in the region — but knows his strengths lie in Chennai.

Despite the popularity of his auto rallies, Aravind insists that software business is his bread and butter. Aravind has been accused of keeping the participation fee high. His counter: “As far as rallies go, mine is of five-star quality.”

It is believed that only Westerners can afford his charges. Aravind says the issue is not money, but availability of time. “Most Indians can’t afford a two-week break. Despite this, every rally has one or two teams from India.”

Another charge: He puts foreigners on road conditions they are not familiar with, that too, in an autorickshaw.

Aravind says that before the rallies, participants go through simulated exercises at the Institute of Road Transport in Taramani (which has a test track that simulates challenging Indian road conditions) and practise rides. “They know what to expect.” There is another reason why Aravind is confident his participants won’t crash the autos. “I tell each of them that if the auto is damaged, he gets it fixed.”

For details, visit rickshawchallenge.com.

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