Pune: Sandeep Dighe recently bought an autorickshaw loaned from a private finance bank. With his vehicle off the road due to the COVID-19 lockdown, he does not know how he will pay his EMI of Rs 4,000 every month. He has also decided to return home. Autorickshaw drivers in the city today are forced to give up their daily income amid lockdown are facing severe financial burden as they are waiting longer in a day for customers.
Though there are relaxations in the lockdown, COVID-19 has significantly hit the business of auto drivers. People are avoiding travelling by autos stating the 'safety' against COVID. On the other hand, some choose cabs or sharing taxis to travel around the city. Also, the drivers' lack of knowledge of e-payment services adds to their troubles as many drivers still don't have a bank account.
Another autorickshaw driver Chandrakant Gogawale expressed, "The financial position currently is risky. We need strong backing from the government. Many autorickshaw drivers have become unemployed amid the lockdown. We at a place wait for almost 2 hours but return empty."
Currently, Pune city has one lakh autorickshaw drivers. They are generally from neighbouring talukas such as Junnar, Ambegaon, Mulshi, Velha and Bhor. While a section of the drivers owns their autorickshaws, the others drive the autorickshaw and pay the owner regularly. Some also have come to the city after selling their land only to buy the vehicle. Some even work as there is no work in their fields.
WHAT AUTO DRIVERS IN CITY DEMAND
· School and colleges should resume in the city.
· Fuel prices should decrease.
· RTO should extend the date for the vehicle permit.
· Private finance should give more deadline to pay EMIs.
After the COVID crisis, the intermediate modes of transportation, being a key player in the urban transportation system, have a noticeable impact on the lives of the people working in the sector. Not only their livelihood in terms of daily earnings reduced, but they also could not service the bank loan or any other form of private loans leading to financial distress.
