Radio Taxi by Transport Authority

Many times we hear that  private  taxi operators  are  not  as safe as they should be. Sometimes  there are also  complaints about overcharging.

While private  taxi  operators  bring lots of innovations I suggest  that local  transport  authorities should create a parallel Internet  based system  for the individual  taxi  operators registered with them.

It would work in the  same manner as Ola and Uber system. However  rules  would  be  different.

Any passenger  would  download the app and will be able to hail a taxi using this app.
On completion of the journey taxi driver collects the fare as given by the system in cash or through  e-wallets.

5% of this collection is deducted from a deposit that taxi driver has kept with transport authority to run the system. Whenever this amount falls  below a limit it is replenished by the taxi driver.

The  rules for fare calculations should be as they are by the transport authority. No surge pricing. Night charges at 25 percent.

All taxis and drivers are  already registered with transport authority. Better police verification should be done. The access to the  system should be available to police and in case of any SOS signal by the passengers police should be immediately monitor the taxi and PCR van should be able to reach the place quickly.

This system will bring economic efficiencies to  the  individual taxi drivers and improve the travelling experience for public enjoying a fair price for the local travel.

Written on 27 December 2016.

Search for Truth

Effective decisions and actions are based on uncompromising truth.

Decisions and actions based on incomplete truth lead you to a weak position and you are bound to feel sorry for yourself eventually.

How do you get to the full truth?

If you are learning about something from someone else, he is telling the truth.  Because he is an honorable man.

But every honorable man is a man after all.

And therefore has own perspective.

Therefore the truth told by him is 'colored'.

So if you listen about the same thing from two different persons both will say their respective truths.

So how do you arrive at the TRUTH?

If you have brought something from the market and it has got some mud or dust on the way as you were bringing it home

you would take a brush and remove the dust or the color it has got.

In your mind this role is played by Doubt.

Doubt is the brush that will remove the color and you will be able to get to the real truth.

My experience in Industrial Relations taught me this basic principle.

People when they come to you and try to convey a "truth", they bring various versions of truth. You should listen with patience and respect but don't take every statement on its face value.

Use doubt as your friend and get to the most likely TRUTH.

You will have reduced your chance of regret.

Compulsory Voting

I support the intent of those who are pushing for the compulsory voting. However I find taking action against those who have not voted as a wasteful exercise.

Our poulation is 125 crore. Adult population isabout 90 crores.

Suppose in an election,  voting is 80 %. That means 18 crore people have not voted. Taking individual action against these 18 crore people is impractical. Even if a strong willed administrator does take the action,  he/she is simply foolish. I repeat FOOLISH.

I would propose that we incentivise the voting. On the day of voting no economic activity takes place.  Maximum negative impact is on daily wage workers.  There is a strong case for giving them minimum wages for that day. Similarly senior citizens should be given same incentive. Young people do not normally start earning before 24 years of age.  They will be happy to get a good amount for a sumptuous meal. Principle of equality demands that every one should be entitled to this incentive, with a proviso that one can politely decline it.

What would be the financial implication? 
Rs 300 per voter.
If 80 crore voters cast their votes, it would cost Rs 24000 crore rupees. 
This is doable.

How to pay?

Let us follow the same route as is envisaged for LPG cylinder subsidy. Link Voter ID to Adhar Card number and to Bank account number. This will lead to achieving another goal of the government - every one having a bank account.

Golf versus football

In all newly developed private areas in cities like Gurgan, Noida and others I find the sports grounds are created for golf but not for cricket and football. There is a clear bias for sports of rich and old relegating the needs of young and middle class to lower priority.  I am not against golf as a game. There should be good quality golf grounds. However there should be more number of grounds for other games.

Airports are poorly designed

My experience of different international airports is that they are very uncomfortable for the passengers. One has to walk a long distance and has to wade through duty free areas designed to increase the possibility of your spending your money and in the bargain get tired.  I wish that the big airports should be modular with spirit of a small airport in a large airport. It should not dwarf me. It should make me feel important.  It should give me comfort.  As I need and not as airlines and airport managers think. There is serious need for user feedback to be incorpoarated in airport design.

Dear techie you were paid much less than what you thought you got. V2

In last six seven years many young professionals (not only techies) had got very good salary. With current recession, they have lost that high salary. It is not only today's salary that you have lost; for many of you you have lost past salary also. Let me show you how.

Suppose you got Rupees Fifty Thousand per month in 2004. You actually did not spend that money. You spent around twent thousand and saved thirty thousand per month. Your parents advised you to invest in a house. Its price was Rs 3 million. You paid Five Hundred thousand and took a loan of 25 Hundred thousand. If the house price has increased you gained. But if the house price has fallen then you have actually lost previous years' salary that you saved and invested.

What else you could have done. You could have spent that money on gaining valuable experience by travelling the world and gaining life's experience first hand. Instead you chose to spend time in front of computer and kept feeling you are a 'very good' boy or girl.

So think again. Don't spend every money that you earn and do not save at the cost of living your life well. 

(Initially written on 25 May 2013, minor revision on 12 October 2016.)

Is SBI's Home Loan rate cut a responsible decision?

SBI recently announced that it is giving home loans at 8% interest. Then it got clarified that this rate is only for first year. What will happen in the second year and afterwards? Rate prevailing at that time which is likely to be higher than 8% would be charged.

I am surprised at this. Have we forgotten that the genesis of the current crisis was subprime loans in US?

What is a subprime loan? Loan given to people who can't afford to repay being lured by mortgage companies and then refinanced by other agencies by low interest rate during first year. We learnt all this just a few months ago.

So has SBI forgotten this lesson? Is SBI's decision a responsible one? Or is it only a gimmick to be seen as complying with the directions?