Auto drivers in a cold sweat over ‘free bus ride for women’
any auto-rickshaw drivers are breaking out into cold sweats after political parties promised free bus rides to women in the State. Their apprehensions that implementing the scheme would make it di cult for them to make ends meet are not completely unfounded.
Going by the experiences of their counterparts in Karnataka and Telangana, the auto drivers expect at least a 40% to 60% drop in their passenger rush. Some auto drivers’ unions, like the Pragatiseela Auto Motor Workers Federation, even conducted their own surveys a couple of weeks ago. Based on the survey ndings, the auto drivers opine that their daily income would not cross ₹400 a day. They reached these conclusions because 80% of their passengers are women and collegegoers.
Krupa, an auto driver in his mid-20s, has been running a rented auto for the last two and a half years. He is worried that his family’s only source of income will be aected by the free bus ride scheme. “Now, I earn around ₹400 to ₹500 per day. “Majority of the passengers are women who travel on this stretch of Bandar road are women. If the scheme were to be implemented, many of them would prefer buses,” he said.
Bujji, another auto driver, expressed similar feelings. The women prefer shared auto rides as they are cheaper than solo rides. We charge around ₹15 to ₹20 depending on the distance. As the charges are about the same as the bus fares, most passengers prefer taking the shared auto to waiting for a bus. If the free bus ride scheme is implemented, we doubt whether the passengers would still prefer the autos.
However, some auto drivers are not worried. Katari Kumar, an auto driver who was spotted at Benz Circle, said that there should not be any problem with the scheme. “We have our own demand. One should welcome the scheme,” he said.
Auto Workers Federation general secretary B. Srinivasa Rao said that 90% of auto drivers purchase their vehicles on loans. They have to pay EMIs. “Our survey indicates that fewer than 60% of auto workers/drivers would lose their livelihood. Not just auto drivers but ancillary services like mechanics, painters, tinkering workers, etc., would also suer as autos would be o the roads, he said.
Muzzafer Ahmed, general secretary of the auto workers union a liated with CITU, said: Our estimate is that not less than 40% of auto drivers would suer with the implementation of the scheme. For instance, the thousands of women construction workers travelling from Ramavarappadu to Benz Circle and from Vagu centre to other places are likely to shift to free buses, he said.
Mr. Ahmed, however, said that his union was not against the scheme, as it a welfare-oriented.But, the government should take enough steps so that the auto drivers would not suer.
Mr. Srinivas Rao said that they submitted a memorandum to the presidents of TDP, YSRCP and JSP to rethink before implementing such schemes.
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