HYDERABAD:  As visitors to malls and railway stations have fallen drastically, Hyderabad’s auto drivers have been forced to find customers near COVID-19 testing centres.

These days, auto drivers are lined up near hospitals like they used to line up near railway stations and bus stands earlier. With a massive slump in income, many auto drivers are even taking up secondary labour work, after frequenting hospitals. 

Speaking to Express, an auto driver on the condition of anonymity, outside an empty mall in Punjagutta said, "No one comes to malls anymore. On weekends, we would be overwhelmed with business. However, now the handful of people who come, drive their own cars just to pick up essential commodities. We realised the only place we can find some business is outside hospitals and testing centres, where many patients hop into our autos, especially if there is an emergency case." 

Are they scared of the health risk that this poses? "Of course, who wouldn’t be. But if we don’t risk health for business, our families will die of starvation. I have exhausted all my savings in a matter of two months when autos were not allowed to ply. Now I need some form of business, no matter how huge the risk," said another auto driver from the same stand.  

In addition to this, the share auto business has also taken a hit as people do not want to travel in autos with strangers in close proximity.