With no public buses plying on the road, many autorickshaw drivers are feeling the pinch of losing out on daily earnings.
Despite the PMPML shutdown, scores of autorickshaws are standing vacant in the city awaiting passengers.
“Enforcing the lockdown and shutting down PMPML buses have been a bad idea. We used to get many of our passengers who would alight from the buses and then prefer us to take them to the city’s peth areas. But with almost every shop closed, there are hardly any passengers,” said Ravindra Poredi who has been a licensed auto rickshaw driver for past 23 years in the city.
Poredi along with other driver friends stand at the Shri Sadguru Jungli Maharaj rickshaw stand daily.
“We have been waiting since morning and there have been no trips at all. We are here to help people get them to their destination, but no one seems to be out,” said Sanjay Saswade.
Although there are none of the regular travellers, these rickshaw owners are not afraid of the Covid-19 virus and are in fact willing to help any passenger reach the nearest Covid testing centre.
“I dropped a senior citizen to Ruby Hall clinic, she had trouble breathing, but I was glad to be of help,” said Rahim Habib Sheikh, who has been plying an auto rickshaw in city for 20 years.
{{/usCountry}}“I dropped a senior citizen to Ruby Hall clinic, she had trouble breathing, but I was glad to be of help,” said Rahim Habib Sheikh, who has been plying an auto rickshaw in city for 20 years.
{{/usCountry}}“We are not afraid of ferrying passengers or even Covid positive patients, we are well equipped with sanitizers, and a thick plastic screen,” said Sunil Kadam who comes daily from Wagholi to ply his rickshaw in the city.
The rickshaws outside KEM hospital are now often used to ferry discharged patients home.
“We are called out by the security guard of the hospital and then also informed by the hospital staff accompanying the patient that we should sanitize the rickshaw after we drop them to their destination,” said Laxman Suryavanshi, who has ferried several patients home.
“The biggest worry that most autorickshaw drivers face is of not earning enough. When everything was normal, we would make around ₹400 to ₹500 but now, it is difficult to get a trip above ₹100. This way, we won’t be able to look after our family nor pay instalments for the rickshaws,” said Rakesh Pardeshi.