Well another weekend and so much has go by you feel as you get up this New year 2nd weekend. Looking out of the window jsut like any other day i see the Auto rickshaw and their drivers standing in this cold winter morning in Mumbai much milder than the one we had last year in 2008 for the first time goingbelow 15 degrees Celcius.
As these autowala stand they have their own rythm that i see them follow the stand as it is now not assigned by the BMC or the RTO but over the years maybe close to 25 now since I have seen them standing and taking the passenger (pax I will call ) to their destination.
I wonder how do they manage to squeeze in the money to survie in this city. Over the years sitting in these guys auto and understanding their life keeps me intrigued as to how people manage to. The day for them starts by 7 am at the stand , the inital early morning trickle to the garden or temple pax jump in and out, then by 8 to 10 am the ever hurrying office goers the school / college kids and all. Most of them have now learned that its not feasiable to travel long distance as they say the make more money by doing the local station to stand -local area nore affordable and profitable. so doing 59 trips in an day of Rs 9/- is better than making 3 trips of 100 where one is stuck in the traffic and the pollution and bad roads and at times often late pax leaving mid way and walking.
So better to stay within the area and do short trips is their funda now. Then comes the luxury for some to go home for lunch and have a nap for and hour and back as mostly they do or take lunch in the parking and dozing off in the back seat.
The cycle of one gone the next pushes to the first and the rest follows and on and on iot goes. How does one save well the guys below have among them who does a BC collection and Rs 30 is they give by evennign or next day and in times of need they take the loan minus the intrest.
Some who dare to go our always have some more with them butit all depends in the traffic and demand and at times when time up to hand over to the night shift or the owner they do have to come empty which makes and dent.
Now all this on a daily basis no vacations no weekends no Causal Leave / PL / SL just palin everyday work . So how do they manage , they do take time off on sundays after 4 pm when business is a little slack and do manage to spend some time with family or some outing.
So life goes on a days off due sickeness or strike like the fuel pumps going dry then life a big problem staring at them with no earnign and nothing fall back on most of the times.
Some have already left to beback in the villages where its more easy now than to struggle with the city with nothing to save . Some have taken up other options of selling wares. Young boys from up north have taken their palce and have made more earnigns by tampering meters and taking for a ride the pax who don't know the routes. This is why we the commonhers end fighting ervery time its time to pay the fare.
Well now ith Metro Rail and other options these guys have not much left they say and the Governemnt is also not doing anythiong to help the locals to earn a decent earning.
So time is not far off that the Nano on its way and the autos will be off the road.
As these autowala stand they have their own rythm that i see them follow the stand as it is now not assigned by the BMC or the RTO but over the years maybe close to 25 now since I have seen them standing and taking the passenger (pax I will call ) to their destination.
I wonder how do they manage to squeeze in the money to survie in this city. Over the years sitting in these guys auto and understanding their life keeps me intrigued as to how people manage to. The day for them starts by 7 am at the stand , the inital early morning trickle to the garden or temple pax jump in and out, then by 8 to 10 am the ever hurrying office goers the school / college kids and all. Most of them have now learned that its not feasiable to travel long distance as they say the make more money by doing the local station to stand -local area nore affordable and profitable. so doing 59 trips in an day of Rs 9/- is better than making 3 trips of 100 where one is stuck in the traffic and the pollution and bad roads and at times often late pax leaving mid way and walking.
So better to stay within the area and do short trips is their funda now. Then comes the luxury for some to go home for lunch and have a nap for and hour and back as mostly they do or take lunch in the parking and dozing off in the back seat.
The cycle of one gone the next pushes to the first and the rest follows and on and on iot goes. How does one save well the guys below have among them who does a BC collection and Rs 30 is they give by evennign or next day and in times of need they take the loan minus the intrest.
Some who dare to go our always have some more with them butit all depends in the traffic and demand and at times when time up to hand over to the night shift or the owner they do have to come empty which makes and dent.
Now all this on a daily basis no vacations no weekends no Causal Leave / PL / SL just palin everyday work . So how do they manage , they do take time off on sundays after 4 pm when business is a little slack and do manage to spend some time with family or some outing.
So life goes on a days off due sickeness or strike like the fuel pumps going dry then life a big problem staring at them with no earnign and nothing fall back on most of the times.
Some have already left to beback in the villages where its more easy now than to struggle with the city with nothing to save . Some have taken up other options of selling wares. Young boys from up north have taken their palce and have made more earnigns by tampering meters and taking for a ride the pax who don't know the routes. This is why we the commonhers end fighting ervery time its time to pay the fare.
Well now ith Metro Rail and other options these guys have not much left they say and the Governemnt is also not doing anythiong to help the locals to earn a decent earning.
So time is not far off that the Nano on its way and the autos will be off the road.
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