Transport in India
India has a large and extensive transportation system. The country has one of the world's largest railway and roadway network transporting millions of people every year. However, vast sections of the country's transportation network remains underdeveloped.
Walking
In ancient times, people often covered long distances on foot. For instance, the Adi Sankara traveled all over India. Even today it is not uncommon for people in rural areas to commute several kilometers every day.
Bullock Cart
Bullock carts have been traditionally used for transport, especially in rural India. They can still be seen in many of the cities and villages. In the recent years some of the cities have banned the movement of bullock carts and other slow moving vehicles in the main arterials during daytime.
Palanquin
Palanquins or "palkee" was one of the luxurious methods used by the rich and nobles for travelling purposes.
This was primarily used in the olden days to carry the deity or idol of the god (many temples have sculptures of god being carried in a palki) later on during 15th century we have references that the nobles were also using it for transportation. Girls and ladies from rich families were ferried in palkee and were escorted by males riding on horses.
Horse carriages
The advent of the British saw drastic improvements in the horse carriages which were used for transport since early days. To today they are used in smaller towns and are referred as "Tanga", and buggies (Victorias of Bombay) are still used for tourist purposes
Cycle rickshaw
From the early part of the century the bicycle rickshaws also became popular and are still used in rural India. They are more a bigger tricycle wherein two people can sit on an elevated seat at the back and a person will pedal (driver) from the front. In urban areas they have been mostly superseded by auto rickshaws.
Bicycles
Bicycles are still an important mode of travelling for the lower middle class.
Trams
The advent of the British saw trams being introduced in many cities including Mumbai and Calcutta. They are still in use in Calcutta and provide a pollution-free means of transportation. The nationalised Calcutta Tram Company has introduced buses on certain routes in order to generate more revenue and reduce losses.
Local transport
Local transportation is predominantly by road, with a small fraction (depending on the city) by trains. Most Indian cities are connected to surrounding towns by buses or trains. The vast national rail network also enables farmers to transport their farm and agriculture produce to larger towns, where they get better prices.
The roads in most cities are poorly maintained and full of potholes, while in villages they are frequently non-existent. Traffic generally moves slowly and erratically, and traffic jams and accidents are very common. A Reader's Digest study of traffic congestion in Asian cities ranked several Indian cities within the Top Ten for worst traffic.
Buses
The use of buses is very popular for all classes of society. They are a cheap and easy mode of transport. The government is encouraging the people to use the bus since it reduces the number of vehicles on the road thus reducing traffic jams.
Autorickshaws
An auto rickshaw (auto or rickshaw or tempo in popular parlance) is a three wheeler vehicle for hire. They typically have no doors or seatbelts. They are generally yellow or green in colour and have a black or green canopy on the top. An auto rickshaw is generally characterized by a tin/iron body resting on three small wheels (one in front, two on the rear), a small cabin for the driver in the front and seating for three in the rear.
Their design varies considerably from place to place. In some locations, they have an extra plank on the seat to accommodate a fourth passenger. Hiring an auto often involves bargaining with the driver.
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Originally Posted by oxRIMAxo
Guess its harder for girls tho.
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