They're also crowded and confusing to use in a big city. Regardless, they're a cheap option at only five rupees ($.08) a ride.
Rickshaws are very common and compact, allowing them to nimbly slip around buses and cars. But their biggest drawback is the price. A rickshaw ride in Bengaluru (no matter where you go) is automatically going to cost 25 rupees ($.37) for the first mile or so, five times the price of a bus ride! Now this really isn't so bad, except that rickshaw drivers tend to "bargain" with foreigners. They'll hike the price up by 200-250% even if your destination is within a mile. It's also hard to communicate your destination to rickshaw drivers. Most drivers know popular sites like malls and schools, but won't know specific streets or shops.
That leaves us with Uber. Uber is a wonderful way to get to a specific destination because of GPS technology! Ubers are mainly new cars, so they're generally the most comfortable option. And since the cost of a ride is determined by Uber, it tends to be more consistent and cheaper than a "bargaining" rickshaw driver. Unfortunately, Ubers suffer almost as much as buses do in traffic. They also get lost from time to time when the technology fails.
To get around, I use a combination of rickshaws and Ubers. If I'm going to a popular destination like Christ University, I might take a rickshaw. I'd do the same if I was either running late or expecting traffic. Rickshaws are the fastest, most versatile vehicles. I would choose Uber if I knew well in advance where I wanted to go. Waiting for an Uber can take time, and so I need to call one well before I'm ready to leave.
