I still remember the first time I took a public bus alone at the age of 10. I was afraid I would miss alighting at the right bus-stop, but mixed with the fear was the excitement of being able to travel on my own. 

That thrill increased when I later got my student concession pass for unlimited travel on public buses. In my mind, it sparkled like a magical ticket to freedom. By the time my peers were getting a driver’s licence, I liked public transport so much that I never seriously considered getting one too.