Taxi drivers struggle to earn their living

MUMBAI: City’s transport operations have taken a major hit due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, and taxi, autorickshaw and app-based cab drivers have faced the most hardships during this period.

Public transport services were suspended in the city after the announcement of the nationwide lockdown on March 23. Later on June 6, certain services resumed with restrictions under the state government’s Mission Begin Again. As part of the relaxation, black and yellow taxis, autorickshaws and app-based cabs services are presently allowed to operate only for emergency travel along with a restriction on number of passengers.

However, business has been slow even after the relaxations. When HT spoke to drivers, they said they were still struggling.

Dharamveer Gupta, a 30-yearold Santacruz resident, has been driving an autorickshaw for the past five years. Gupta, along with his family, had to leave Mumbai on May 22 and take a shramik special train to his hometown in Uttar Pradesh.

While Gupta arrived back in Mumbai on June 10, he has been struggling to repay vehicle loans and earn a living. “There are no passengers. We wait for hours in order to get a single passenger.

The day’s earning is hardly ₹300 as opposed around ₹1,000 that we used to make before. Banks are also troubling us to repay our loans,” he said.

Mahindra Nath Chaurasiya, 50, who has been driving a black and yellow taxi in the city from 1996, said, “Our business depend on the opening of garments, fruits and vegetable markets. Everything is mostly closed, and it is nearly impossible to get passengers. I have not seen anything like this before.”

The condition of mobile application-based cab drivers is the same. Vijay M, who works with a mobile application-based cab aggregator service, has stopped logging in. “I had logged in after the cab services resumed and did not get a single passenger for hours. This is the situation of almost all the drivers. The ones who do opt for rides mostly visit hospitals, which is an added safety concern,” said Vijay.

Taxi and auto unions have demanded waiver of vehicle loans as well as monetary relief for lockdown period. “There has been no response from the government to provide monetary relief to drivers.we will be sending another reminder to the government next week,” said AL Quadros, leader of Mumbai Taximen’s union.

Transport department officials have stated that discussions with unions are going on.