City commuters forced to hitchhike

If you don’t have a ride, hitch one. This has become the latest mantra of Hyderabadis who have found a way to work around the erratic public transport services which are constantly being disrupted by agitation and bandh scares lately. Everyone from students to young professionals are turning hitchhikers and are using the power of the thumb.

Ashwini Mathur, a resident of Marredpally, says, “For a distance that normally would cost me only Rs 20, auto drivers demanded Rs 75. Thankfully, I managed to hitch a ride from a passing car, halfway to my destination.”

Hitchhiking however, is no easy task. Vikrant Shekhar, an Accenture employee, who travels from Hitec City to Padmarao Nagar, says, “I had to hitch a ride to Jubilee Hills from a passerby. Then, I took a bus to the Kacheguda station from where I took an MMTS train.”

Those who are lucky enough to have rides of their own are going all out to help stranded strangers. V.J. Kevin, team leader at a 24/7, says, “On my way to work, I saw several people asking motorists for a lift. I offered a ride to a couple of people.”

There are some who are wary too. Kailash Deval, a TCS employee says, “On my way to work, I saw several people trying to hitch a ride on the Masab Tank stretch. But I was not too comfortable with the idea of halting my car, lest it be attacked by agitators.”