"Cause driving in traffic sucks.."

It it not often that one stumbles upon a case where public transport is preferred over everything else. Fewer still are those when the cyberspace is consulted to decide the mode of public transport that is going to be used.

Be it love for the environment, animosity towards driving, or just the resolve to take to public transport on occasions that are not time bound, I decided to go ahead with it. It was then that I was confronted with the harsh truth that twenty years in Chennai had almost entirely revolved around Mylapore, walking and cycling to most of my destinations when left on my own. I had to face up to the task of asking around every time or find that treasure-trove of information.

This led to what has been explained earlier, a case where internet, that vast ocean of information, was put to test to identify the ideal means of commuting. And as it always does, the answers were there and it was only a matter of sifting through for the right match.

Chennai, as it happens to be, is considered to be among the World's 10 Best commutes(as of 2008), in terms of reliability, efficiency and cost effectiveness. The rankings were measured based on criteria that included the cost to the consumer and the government, overall investments in improvements and the speed and safety with which people reach their destinations. While trains do provide good connectivity in this city, it is buses that are considered as the lifeline.

"Busroutes.in" was the best "find", for it gave the solutions in the most simplest and effective manner. With a tagline "Cause driving in traffic sucks..", the site surely is a product of like minded fellows with an urge to get out of this maze of traffic that Chennai is also coming to be. Initially giving only the routes for selected buses, listing stages and marking stops in a map; it has gone on to evolve, and it now offers the bus or buses that need to be taken given the starting and ending points.

Irrespective of their motive for developing this idea, it does go someway in aiding to bring back the charm of travelling by buses. Insignificant though it may seem, travelling by public means does bring down the per capita emission of pollution and aids us in our efforts to save planet Earth.

Chennai being their initial target, they wish to move on to Bangalore once they have covered every route in Chennai. And maybe, with time, even the most remote locations in India might just be a click away!