The autorickshaw

The ubiquitous auto-rickshaw is the most used for of transport in most towns and cities in India. In Patna, the auto-rickshaws are 'shared cabs' that operate on a point-to-point basis.
Yesterday, as I got out on the street in the morning, I sensed a stillness, a quietitude in the cold winter air. There was a bracing quality to the morning. I realised that this feeling was not entirely due to the fcat that I was in a good mood. And then it dawned on me, there wasn't an auto-rickshaw to be seen on the road anywhere.
No noise, no honking, and far less congestion.
Good?
Well, consider this. The buses in Patna are too ramshackle and overcrowded. Cycle-Rickshwas are slow and hike up their rates to Rs 20 a kilometre. And if you've got to travel about seven to ten kilometres... and you have no car... you're stuck! Patna does not have a taxi service.
So, until there's a better public transport system put in place, one hopes the autos get back on the roads soon. UGh!!!