HYDERABAD: It was just over a year since B Kanakaiah started driving his brand new taxi, when COVID-19 struck, dashing his hopes of making some decent earnings.
Kanakaiah is among thousands of cab drivers who faced the COVID impact. In March 2020, almost all IT employees started working from home. His earnings were hit and this caused delay in the payment of EMIs towards his vehicle, which was eventually seized.
By the time he gathered courage to start from scratch and spent over Rs 1 lakh on formalities, including paperwork, the IT company, citing his vehicle was more than three years old, did not accommodate his request.
"I was earning more than Rs 60,000. These two years have brought despair for us. Despite all efforts, I am struggling to make a living with around Rs 22,000 in private bookings. Many of my friends have already shifted to other professions, like taking up agriculture in their native places. Vehicles of some are gathering dust, as some are now driving goods autos, ambulances and as private drivers," said cab driver Kankaiah, an Amberpet resident.
According to the Telangana Taxi and Drivers Joint Action Committee (JAC), there were some 35,000 cabs which were shuttling IT employees from the IT corridor to different destinations, before COVID.
V Sudhakar, another cab driver, is unable to maintain his own vehicle, and joined as driver for a family. "I was earning somewhere between Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 and now, I am getting close to half. Following the lifting of the second lockdown, we were hopeful of working for an IT company. Losing hopes as some of my friends in Malakpet and other places have joined as daily wage labourers, as it may assure them regular pay for supporting families," he stated.
Most of the drivers have already sold their vehicles, while others kept their vehicles off the road fearing authorities and unable to bear the costs for renewing papers. "Most continue to face harassment from financiers and the government has failed to come forward with any kind of support," said JAC chairman Shaik Salauddin.