Hyderabad autowalas face the brunt of lockdown
With drastic drop in income even after the city opening up, they find it difficult to make ends meet
Hyderabad: Mohammad Basheer has been driving an auto-rickshaw in Hyderabad for about 10 years now. While his job was never easy, he was able to make ends meet, and according to him, never failed to pay the rent on time. However, everything changed since the complete lockdown announced during the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic last year.
“It’s not like I earned a lot. But after being on the roads for about 10 to 12 hours, I was able to make a decent Rs 1,000- Rs1,200 per day. That was enough to sustain my family and also save a bit for the future. After the lockdown was declared, I wasn’t able to earn at all for about two to three months,” he said.
However, even after the city was open the business had gone down drastically. Most of the auto drivers were able to earn only Rs 300 to Rs 400 daily, almost till the end of last year. “We thought things might change this year, but so far it has been worse than 2020. With the second wave and later lockdown, there is no business. I don’t have any money to pay my rent, buy enough ration or support the education of my three kids,” shares Basheer, as he finishes his lunch and gets ready to hit the road once again.
This, unfortunately, is not an isolated case. Autorickshaw drivers have been affected severely during the pandemic. The auto stands, that were once abuzz with daily commuters negotiating the fare with the auto walas, are now mostly stranded.
While many are surviving off the little savings they have, in a few cases the family members of auto drivers had to start working to run the kitchen.
M Sharada, whose husband has been driving an auto for several years, had to start working as a house help, as there was no income to support their two kids’ education.
Sharing her story, Sharada says, “We never had any issues financially before – it was less, but it was enough. When my husband’s income decreased due to the pandemic, our biggest concern was the education of my two kids. The schools have gone online, and we need at least one smart phone and internet connection for them to attend classes. Plus we had to pay the monthly rent, school fees and other bills. Therefore I started working as a househelp. My kids help me finish the daily chores so I can go out and work in two houses.”
But their plight doesn’t end here. Although they are surviving in a hand to mouth situation, many auto rickshaw drivers still have loans to pay on the newly bought vehicle. Despite knowing their circumstances, many financers and financial institutions have been charging late fees and seizing the vehicles of the defaulters.
Md Ali, who bought an auto last year, is now knee deep in debt. “I have to pay an EMI of Rs 8,000 per month, and my rent is around Rs 5,000. For about eight to ten months, my income is hardly Rs 400 to 500 per day. My financers know the situation, but said that if I delay the payment they will charge a late fee. With increasing rates of basic commodities, it is also getting difficult to manage a monthly ration budget,” shares Ali, adding that every night before sleeping his last prayer is to keep his family safe, as he has no money for their treatment.
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