Aurangabad, March 17:
Though there are
relaxations in the lockdown, Covid-19 has significantly hit the business
of auto drivers. With an increasing number of patients, people are
avoiding travelling by autos stating the safety against the virus. This
has greatly reduced their daily earnings and many are also not able to
pay the bank loans leading to further financial distress.
Auto-rickshaw
driver Manoj Dighe who recently bought an autorickshaw loaned from a
private finance bank said, passengers, have greatly reduced due to
corona. Time is mostly spent waiting for customers. Further, the rising
prices of fuel have impacted our profit margin. The income is not even
enough to sustain a family. I do not know how I will pay an EMI of Rs
4,000 every month. Many autorickshaw drivers in the city today are
forced to give up their job and turn towards other jobs like selling
vegetables, labour and do other pity jobs. Another autorickshaw driver
Syed Junaid expressed, "The financial position currently is risky. We
need strong backing from the government. Many autorickshaw drivers have
become unemployed. We at a place wait for almost 2-3 hours but return
empty." Currently, the city has 31,038 auto-rickshaws registered with
the regional transport office, including 9,972 vehicles using LPG as
fuel. While a section of the drivers owns their autorickshaws, the
others drive the autorickshaw and pay the owner regularly. Some also
have come to the city after selling their land only to buy the vehicle.
Some even work as there is no work in their fields.