Thursday, 31 August 2023 | MANSI BHAMBRI | DEHRADUN
With the advent of online ride-hailing platforms such as Ola and Uber, the auto- rickshaw operators in Dehradun have been experiencing consistent decline in their income. They are deeply worried with the steady dip in income as the people in increasing numbers are opting for the Ola/Uber options. Many denizens of the city this correspondent talked to clearly affirm their preference for Ola/ Uber rides to auto- rickshaw rides, citing the comfortable ride in the former as contrasted to the bumpy ride in the latter.
With the auto-rickshaw drivers losing the competitive race against Ola and Uber, some of them have appealed to the State government to provide them a viable alternative to help them effectively take on the Ola/ Uber challenge.
Asked to comment on the auto-rickshaw drivers’ worsening plight on the income front, the president of Doon Auto-Rickshaw Union Pankaj Arora said that with the emergence of Ola and Uber as riding options, the demand for auto- rickshaws has significantly declined compared to previous years. “The demand for our vehicles has declined by 50 per cent. Things are indeed grave for us. Those who earn livelihood through auto-rickshaw driving keep voicing their grievances to the union. Additionally, it poses a significant challenge for every auto-rickshaw driver to register for online rides because many senior citizens who operate auto- rickshaws are unfamiliar with the applications of online platforms. Moreover, many of them do not have smartphones and this is coming in the way of registering themselves online,” he said.
An auto- rickshaw driver, Ashish Kumar told this correspondent that the emergence of online ride-hailing platforms like Ola and Uber has drastically diminished the demand for auto- rickshaws. “As a result, the auto-rickshaw drivers operating in the city are in dire financial straits. To address our predicament, it is imperative for the State government to step in and implement some schemes to help us tide over this crisis,” he said.
Asked to suggest potential solutions, he said that providing training to the auto-rickshaw drivers on using online ride-hailing applications could help them take on the Ola/Uber challenge. “This will definitely enable us to embrace the digital platforms which will expand our customer base and ensure improved income,” he added.
Another local auto- rickshaw driver, Firoz Khan Malik agreed that imparting on- line application training might help. But he hastened to add that as many of the auto-rickshaw drivers are illiterate and unaware of online riding platforms and as they do not have smartphones of their own, they could hardly benefit from such training. “Along with providing training, the State government should provide us with smartphones so as to enable us to effectively use the online riding platforms,” he added.
