My fascination for bus rides and backpacking/trekking has remained intact. I was delighted to learn that even among the car-loving Americans, bus travel is now becoming popular. Well, this may cause a social and economic revolution in the USA!!!
People are more “loath to get into their cars.” The Federal Highway Administration says Americans drove 81 billion fewer miles in the year ended January 2009 than in the previous year, reports WSJ.
The Week magazine says: “Hard economic times are pushing even well-heeled travelers to Greyhound, and many are pleasantly surprised.”
It is said that if your destination is less than 5 to 6 hours away a bus could take you there faster than an aircraft, if you take into consideration the time it takes for waiting at the airport. “Additionally a bus would reach you right up to the downtown area which makes it so much easier to find your way about in the city.”
The WSJ writes: “In April, Greyhound Lines Inc. launched 102 new ‘motor-coaches’ in the Northeast featuring leather seats, additional legroom, Wi-Fi access and power outlets in every row. BoltBus, an East Coast joint venture it launched with Peter Pan Bus Lines Inc., boasts similar perks, giving its buses a more ‘luxurious feel,’ — and fares that run as little as $1 each way if you book far enough in advance.
“Megabus.com, a Chicago-based unit of British-owned Stagecoach Group PLC, offers similar features. The line was launched three years ago with seven city destinations — where ridership has since tripled — and now services 30 cities in the Northeast and Midwest.
“Peter Pan itself is in the process of installing Wi-Fi into 150 of its existing buses this year, while its new buses will come Wi-Fi-equipped.
“The new breed of buses also has a cleaner, more-luxurious feel — whether it’s cup holders at seats, spiffier bathrooms or tables that allow commuters to spread out and get some work done on the ride.”
More here…
It seems that in the coming months/years if the bus and train combo continue to provide cheaper and comfortable travel many well-to-do people might also opt for public transportation. My earlier post here….
Once you are hooked on to bus/train travel then you would think twice before spending a much larger amount on car travel. Moreover you can breathe easy and enjoy the scenery around instead of cursing some other driver in front of you.
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.