Photos: In Govindpuri, Binota Gayen is the first woman e-rickshaw driver

44-year-old Binota Gayen, a mother and wife in Delhi's Govindpuri, became the first female e-rickshaw driver in 2016 when she picked up driving the vehicle in a bid to secure her family's financial standing and live out her passion for driving at the same time.

Updated on: Mar 06, 2018 2:11 PM IST

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Two years ago, in an move towards financial security, 44-year-old Binota Gayen took out a loan, got herself licensed and became the first woman e-rickshaw driver in Delhi’s Govindpuri. As HT photographer Burhaan Kinu documents a day in her life, Binota reminisces about her initial struggles in a male dominated profession and the realisation of a childhood dream. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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Of her fondness for driving, she said, “Despite having a driver’s license for years, due to circumstances I never got to drive a vehicle in my life.” Prior to the e-rickshaw, Binota made a living as a household cook, earning Rs 5,000 per month for her family comprising an 8-year old daughter and a husband who is irregularly employed. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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Learning and getting accustomed to operating the e-rickshaw took Binota only 4 hours. During her initial days, it was the quandary of being a female driver which proved problematic. Besides the bureaucratic red-tape for her license, the judgement of other women in her area and of male drivers at the sight of a woman helming control of an e-rickshaw were her adversities. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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Binota prepares a meal, at her one-bedroom home. “Since my childhood I had been working as a maid or a cook across cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, before settling here in Delhi. I used to travel then from one house to another on a bicycle,” she said, pointing that the money from that line of work wasn’t enough. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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With the help of a loan, Binota bought an electric rickshaw for which she pays an monthly instalment of Rs 2,200. Driving from 7 a.m onwards in two shifts, she manages to earn 700 rupees a day. Binota said, “Before, we used to wait for the month’s end to receive payment, but with this profession money comes in daily and life has become much easier.” (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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Binota shares a moment with her daughter Kritika, at their home in Govindpuri. Between her to and fro journeys from Govindpuri metro station to Tara Apartments, she makes time to pick and drop her daughter from school. “My daughter is proud that I am doing something different,” she says. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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As a female driver, braving the hostilities of her male peers was the toughest part of being on the road. “A man once would shout at me in a woman’s voice. I’d get so angry at him but then I learnt to ignore it,” Binota recalls. Today, she says, she fears nobody. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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Since she embarked on this endeavour, several women around her have found strength in Binota and have also taken up driving the e-rickshaw. Moving past obstacles, Binota Gayan is today a proud, self-employed woman who drives without fear, down South Delhi’s roads. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)