A ferry godfather for your fur babies

Lack of work and love for animals made cabbie Amarjeet Singh, a resident of Delhi’s Moti Bagh, convert one car into a pet taxi

Pet parents without their own vehicles often face trouble commuting with their furry friends — be it for a visit to the vet or a day out. But here’s one good hooman who has become a saviour for those stuck in such situations. Amarjeet Singh, a resident of Delhi’s Moti Bagh, has been running a taxi stand for over 40 years, and has converted one car into a pet taxi. The idea came to the sexagenarian, who loves animals, through one of his customers.

Amarjeet Singh, a resident of Delhi’s Moti Bagh, has been running a taxi stand for over 40 years, and has converted one car into a pet taxi (Photo: Shutterstock)

“Humari ek bahut purani customer hain. She posted my number and services online, as Covid-19 had affected business a lot. Dhandha chaupat tha, par iski wajah se thoda chalna start hua hai dobara,” says Singh, who gets multiple calls a day for his pet taxi.

Cab driver Amarjeet Singh

The fare starts from ₹1,500 for 80km and eight hours, and Singh also travels to Noida and Gurugram to help pet parents in need. He is also actively involved in charitable causes for dogs. “I don’t feel scared of animals as I had a Labrador for almost 10 years. Acha lagta hai karna, sewa ho jaati hai. I get four to five calls in a day for pet travel, of which I am able to do at least two a day,” he says.

Singh wishes to further expand his services but he needs to train other drivers first. He explains, “Safe and friendly pick-up and drop-off services ke liye pehle baaki drivers ko bhi comfortable feel karwana padega with pets. Agar unko hi darr lagega drive karte time toh nahin chal sakta.”

The lady who posted about his services online, Dr Priyanka Chawla, tells us about how she became acquainted with Singh. “I fostered his Labrador four years ago when he had to go to his village... I’ve been commuting in his cab everyday since February. He would tell me he had no work, and I wanted to help him out,” says Chawla, who also takes care of 160 street dogs by “feeding, fostering, treating and sterilising them”.

She adds, “I suggested he could start a pet taxi because I, too, have to book ambulances to transport my dog. So, it was like ek teer se do nishane! It solved problems of the animals, their owners and uncle. And this idea worked, which is amazing!”