Hyderaba

Coronavirus scare throws auto rides in city off-gear

‘Passengers afraid to step into autos, drivers scared too’

There are more than 50 autos parked on the road between Mehdipatnam bus stand and Rethi Bowli junction. “We sit idling as there are not many people on the roads. As there is no public transport, people are not venturing out,” says Shaikh Muhammad polishing his vehicle.

Public transport in Hyderabad is limited as RTC has not resumed its services over fears of virus spread. Metro and MMTS are also not plying. This limited mobility has had its impact on cab and auto drivers. According to industry estimates, about 3.5 lakh autorickshaws ply on the roads of Hyderabad.

“Passengers are afraid to step into autos, drivers are also scared of passengers. This distrust has affected the business in a big way affecting the lakhs of families that depend on earnings from the drivers. Earlier, in an 8-12 hour shift, auto drivers used to do eight to 10 rides. Now, these are reduced to just 3-4 rides,” says Shaik Salauddin of Indian Federation of App Based Transport Workers.

The steady surge in fuel prices in the country hasn’t helped matters. “I used to make ₹1,000 or ₹1,500 per day. Now, if I can take home ₹300, it is good enough. The price of diesel has gone up by ₹5 over the past 15 days. The fare I get from the app aggregator is between ₹11 and ₹13 per km,” says Ravi Banoth, who owns and drives an auto for a living.

The only time auto drivers are having some business is during office rush hours where shared autos are the norm. On some stretches like Rethibowli-Nampally, Hyderguda-Bahadurpura, Charminar-Kala Pathar, Ameerpet-Jubilee Hills check-post, shared autos are doing brisk business.

“We can make only one or two trips like that. But we are worried about being penalised by police. I do the Mehdipatnam-Nampally route in the evening and it is very risky with so many people. But I have no choice,” says Mr. Muhammad, who lives in the Toli Chowki area and pays ₹300 per day for the hired vehicle.

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