When I turned eleven, I asked my father whether I could use the public bus to go to school instead of the school bus. He asked me a few questions to ascertain whether I was really capable of using the public bus system. I must have convinced him because he agreed and very soon I was traveling to school on my own.
The ability to use public transport at an early age was very liberating. I could go out on my own without someone always accompanying me.
It taught me planning. I had to budget time to walk to the bus stop, wait for the bus to arrive and for unexpected traffic delays. Very soon I was also traveling to my aunt’s house by bus. I became familiar with various bus routes to the same destination. I understood that ticket prices depended on the distance traveled and how much money to carry.
When I turned twelve, we shifted from Calcutta to Bombay. The public bus system in Bombay was awesome. I went everywhere on my own. I never once asked my dad to drop me anywhere and I never spent a rupee on taxis. Buses were clean, friendly and affordable. Sitting on the front seat of the top deck of a double decker bus and feeling the wind rush onto my face was indescribably exhilarating.
Public transport allowed me to go to school early and play table tennis before classes started. It allowed me to stay behind after school to participate in my Road Safety Patrol activities. It taught me the basics of time management. If I reached school late, I couldn’t blame the bus. I always kept some time in hand, a practice that has served me well in other aspects of life.
Children today aren’t allowed to go far from home on their own. Many parents haven’t used public transport themselves in their growing years. They automatically assume that their children also cannot use it. All this means added pressure on parents to drive their kids from the music class to the tennis court to the birthday party while holding down a job, managing a household and in many cases looking after elderly parents.
I tried very hard to get my kids to use public transport. When they were quite young, they happily agreed without a fuss. In fact, they enjoyed it. The big red Volvo bus was a big attraction for them. As they grew up, they began to realise that public transport is for those who couldn’t afford a car. They found that their friends always used a car. Slowly, they stopped using it.
I agree that public transport isn’t as comfortable as getting around by car. Buses aren’t always on time. Often, they are crowded. They may be a little ramshackle.
But that’s just one side of the story. Bus transport is affordable, safe and available most of the time. It gives children the freedom to commute on their own, and parents some time to sit back and relax.