My letter to deccan herald

Deccan herald is a local newspaper. And a letter of mine to the editor got published on the net. Its about auto rickshaws, the most common form of hired taxis in India. http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jul122005/netmail13882005711.asp

Respected editor,

The auto rickshaw driving profession has become a privileged one, with
the amount of profit that can be earned. The auto rickshaw's
thankfully have moved on to a much cleaner fuel of LPG. LPG also
happens to be a highly efficient fuel, somewhere in the range of 1:3
or 1:4 when compared to petrol, in terms of rupees per kilometer. The
rate per kilo meter is fixed as per the petrol rate and not by LPG
rates. Some of the autos even hold advertising boards on their backs
to make some more additional money. All this is leading to a higher
return per trip to the auto driver. Unfortunately none of these
benefits are being passed down to the consumer. The pensioner who
cannot climb a bus and hence enters an auto, will also have to pay the
exorbitant rate. No wonder in these days of high profit margins, auto
drivers will never come to the place the traveller wants to go. They
move only in the direction they want. Ironically when the recent
petrol hike went up, autodrivers were showcased by the television
channels to highlight the effects of the hike.

Regards,
Vinay