026 Craze for cars

Cars transport people. Public Transport utilities like buses, also provide the service of transporting people.

Indians have got obsessed with a strong urge to buy cars. This is not because they have become an essential commodity like food, clothing, shelter and old age security.

We need not, in the ordinary course, grudge this. But for India and the world this is going to become a serious problem in several ways. 1. Scarcity of petroleum products. 2. Pollution. 3. Traffic congestions. 4. Unnecessary accidents with increase in the number of physically challenged persons 5. Parking problems 6. Increase in cost of housing, as price is to be paid for parking area in the basement. 7. Taking away agricultural land for road widening. 8. Monthly repayment burden on salaries and wages. 9. Obesity and diabetes. 10. Corruption owing to an uncontrollable urge to buy cars by hook or crook. 11. Diversion of agriculturl lands for widening roads.

Cars, today, are objects of conspicuous consumption and they have demonstration effect.

Q: Shouldn't anybody acquire car? Should he be a sanyAsi (monk)?

Ans: Do not belittle monks. They stand first in the queue of buying cars. Otherwise, how can they perform their chAturmAsya (four months sojourn at a single place, ostensibly rains do not allow movement)?

Q: Who actually need cars? Do doctors need?

Ans: Doctors of yore used to need, because they used to visit patients at their homes and prescribe. Today's doctors make patients to wait for hours in the conveyor belt like mode of sealing bottle cap. Consultants running around from one Super Specality Hospital to another Super Speciality Hospital may probably need.

Q: Do Sales representatives need?

Ans; They can go faster using bikes. Parking becomes a problem if they go on cars. Besides, they have to move quickly through the jammed vehicles, or else they will miss their appointments.

Q: Do employees need?

Ans: The practice of employers providing group transportation to employees to and fro to the work place, should develop. This ensures punctuality and regularity in attendance. The journey time in the Company bus can also be used for finding solutions to work-related problems. It improves inter-departmental co-operation because employees travelling in the same bus become more acquainted with one another and communications become easy.

Q: Won't businessmen need cars?

Ans: liaison Agents and lobbyists get things done, just by phones. Even they do not personally go to Government Agencies or clients. Businessmen use the luxury cars for going to clubs.

Q: Then who need cars?

Ans: Agriculturists may need some sort of station-wagons for transporting agricultural produce and workers. Hospitals may need ambulances. Employers, schools need mini-buses. What for, will be cars?

Q: Won't we need cars for week-end picnics?

Ans: This is one good usage, which cars can be put to. But can a country like India with its starving 1.2 billion afford cars? Those who buy cars in India depend more on mainly five types of income and wealth. 1. Those who get foreign funds. 2. Those who have high-fetching urban properties 3. Those who lend money. 4. Those who speculate. 5. Professionals like Doctors with great demand.

Q: How will this car mania end?

Ans: Car mania is different from cell-mania. When cell phones entered the country, they were items of conspicuous consumption. Their utility have made them essential daily use goods. Because of low price, and low energy needs, they have become the darlings of the population. Cars are unlikely to reach this state. Color TVs were items of conspicuous consumption for sometime. They, instead of serving the information needs of people, have become garbage servers. Having seen color TVs, people refused to look at portable TVs and BW TVs. To satisfy the people's urge, political parties have started making promises of free color TVs free laptops and free tablets. Someday will come, when parties have to offer free cars for each household.