As Covid-19 hurts demand, Delhi's auto drivers struggle to make a living

Two months after the Delhi government relaxed restrictions amid coronavirus outbreak, auto drivers in the city struggle to keep afloat as they face weak demand and financial pressure.

They rue that very few people are stepping out and availing their services, while private financiers are forcing them to pay back the loans taken by them to buy the vehicles.

Public service vehicles, including autorickshaws, were allowed to ply on the city roads following relaxations in the croronavirus-induced lockdown from May 17.

With people still keeping indoors due to the coronavirus scare, autorickshaw drivers are finding passengers with much difficulty these days. Most of these drivers are finding it hard to survive, say auto union leaders.

Over 95,000 registered autos ply on city roads and most of them run in shifts. With the lockdown, a large number of auto drivers who drove rented vehicles left for their home states, they say.

Many also took the autos to their homes in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states. A few have returned, but most of them are waiting for the pandemic to subside to come back, says Rajender Soni, general secretary, Delhi Autorickshaw Sangh.

"It has now become difficult to feed our families due to a sharp decline in demand as people are not stepping out due to coronavirus. What worsens the situation for auto drivers is that they have taken loans and financiers are putting pressure on them for payment," he says.

Many auto drivers complain that they are being forced by private financiers to pay the instalments of loans threatening to confiscate their vehicles.

"I took a loan of Rs 2.5 lakh from a private financier who is now demanding payment and threatening to tow away my auto. I have a family of five, and last month I underwent an operation. I do not earn enough to feed my family let alone pay the instalment," says Pradeep Ahuja.

Soni says his union has urged the government to waive off the interest on auto and taxi loans for the entire year in view of the pandemic and its economic impact.

Anuj Rathor, secretary, Rashtriya Rajdhani Kshetra Auto Drivers Union notes that the condition of those driving rented vehicles is particularly grave.

"Even at the personal risk of catching Covid-19 infection, drivers are working but it is a misfortune that they are not being able to earn enough to pay rent and feed their families," he adds.

Many autorickshaw owners rent their vehicles to other drivers in shifts, charging them in the range of Rs 200 to Rs 350 on daily basis, according to the auto unions.

"I have earned only Rs 70 so far and I have to pay Rs 200 rent to the auto owner. This is the case everyday. I am left with very little money after paying rent to the auto owner," says auto driver Rajesh Bidhauria in Karawal Nagar.

With fuel and other expenses like buying sanitisers adding to the kitty, it is difficult to survive with our income, says another auto driver Ravinder as he waits for passengers on Vikas Marg in east Delhi.

"After paying the auto rent of Rs 250, I save around Rs 200-250 which i spend mainly on food for my family of seven which includes my parents," he adds.

The auto unions say the Delhi government had helped public service vehicle drivers by giving them a one-time financial assistance of Rs 5,000 during lockdown.

Both the Centre and the Delhi government should now waive off all interests on loans, fines and other charges paid by auto drivers for the entire year, they add.