For the last two days, taxi driver Kiran Kumar B.M. has been living in his car near his village at his native place, Bevinahalli, in Mandya district. He left Bengaluru earlier this week when the Karnataka government extended the lockdown by 14 days, but has not got his RT-PCR test report. Until then, he intends to live in his car. “Only if it is negative will I join my family members, as there are children in the house,” he said.
The number of taxis and autos on the city’s roads has reduced noticeably, as many drivers, no longer able to earn a livelihood, have packed their bags and left Bengaluru. Even before the lockdown, their earnings had taken a hit.
“In Bengaluru, my rent was ₹3,500, my car EMI was ₹15,500 and I relied on hotels for food. There were other expenses too. How can I survive in the city if I don’t earn money?” Mr. Kumar added.
Muniraju, a taxi driver, said, “This one year has hit us hard, and the second wave is making life more miserable. Due to work-from-home and increasing cases of COVID-19, drivers were not getting bookings. Now the State has imposed a lockdown. We understand that saving lives is more important, but what about our livelihood. How can we pay rent or EMI for our vehicles by sitting at home? If we do not pay the EMI, recovery agents start harassing us.”
Drivers want the State government to step in with a financial aid package that includes extending the date for payment of EMIs, tax breaks, and other measures.
K. Somashekar, president of the Namma Chalakara Trade Union, pointed out that though the Chief Minister had announced financial assistance for auto and taxi drivers, less than half actually benefited from it. “We do not have any hope of getting financial assistance this time. The least the State government can do is ask financial institutions to postpone EMI collection for vehicle loans, relax taxes for taxis for at least six months,” he said.
In March, a taxi driver had committed suicide at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) allegedly due to poor earnings. The incident spurred the State government to hike taxi fares applicable to aggregators. However, drivers say it did not help them as by then, the number of people commuting had dropped due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Though the lockdown guidelines state that citizens can use autos and taxis for emergencies, or to travel to the airport and railway stations, ridership remains low as most people are staying indoors.
Drivers are bitter about the lack of preparedness. Subash, an auto driver, said, “Everyone thought this year would be better, but it’s turning out to be worse than 2020. Governments are not prepared, and the general public is paying the price,” he said.
