Taxi drivers face unprecedented crisis

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A number of sectors have taken a bad hit since the lockdown has been announced, one among them are cab services in Technopark which were halted leaving many drivers in the lurch. The drivers have been unemployed for more than 60 days and are forced to take up another profession to earn a living. The story of drivers operating through app-based ride-hailing services is not much different. Even though easing lockdown has allowed cabs to operate within city limits, many drivers are in deep financial crisis due to the lack of trips and a lesser number of people booking the services.

Despite the government allowing Uber and Ola drivers to operate within the city, many are suffering due to lack of business. “Currently we are allowed to undertake only small trips. The amount we earn daily is not even sufficient to pay for fuel. Although we sanitise their vehicles regularly, most people are afraid to board cabs,” said Gopakumar K, an Uber driver from the city. Working with Uber for the past three years, Gopakumar used to get around 16 trips daily before the lockdown came into effect. 

“It will take at least three or four months for the operations at Technopark to get back to normal,” says Kaniyapuram-native Bimal Mohan, who has been working as a cab driver for over seven years in Technopark. Bimal says the employees would be hesitant to use cab services even if the virus outbreak is contained. 

Rahul J Nair, who has been working as a cab driver for close to seven years says he has never faced a crisis like this one. The Kazhakkoottam-native has been idle for around 75 days. “I received enquiries from Tamil Nadu and Punjab to pick up some stranded Malayalis. That would have brought some income. However, I did not commit it would have required me to go under quarantine after the trip. Also the car has to be sanitised later in the presence of RTO,” says Rahul. Furthermore, a lack of clarity from the government regarding the precautions to be followed is one of the issues that the drivers raised. Although cabs have been fitted with transparent fibreglass partitions in Kochi, the drivers in Thiruvananthapuram city are left in the dark as to whether they should install the same.

Presently, only the taxis carrying high-risk passengers from the airport area are fitted with the partition. “Many drivers operating in city areas have not installed it because of the huge cost involved,” said Sreekumar V, a member of the Taxi Welfare Association of Thiruvananthapuram. Meanwhile, cab agencies are also unwilling to install partitions. “It’s a costly affair. The installation will cost me around `50,000,” says Sreejith L B, who owns Sree Travels, which has around 15 cabs serving different companies in Technopark.