KOCHI: For Sudeesh Mohandas, an online taxi driver from Vaduthala, it has been many months of uncertainty. When he started driving a taxi in 2019, buying a car on loan, the youngster had high hopes. But Covid and the subsequent lockdowns have put off all that spark.
“I never imagined things would go upside down like this. Since last year, the frequency of trips has been abysmal. I couldn’t even fetch half the amount required to repay the EMI. The overdue is growing higher every month and I have no idea what to do,” said Sudeesh.
He said the number of passengers has reduced exponentially over the fear of Covid spread. “Now, my daily trips are occasional medical cases. Though we take precautions like covering the car seats with plastic covers, people are still scared. It’s even more difficult to return home with the little money we earn after a day’s work. Thanks to my family, I am eating three meals a day. For many of my friends, even that is a luxury these days,” said Sudeesh.
With no hope of a reasonable return, Sudheesh is considering alternative options. “If this continues, it will become impossible to earn anything after paying off the loan and aggregator’s commission. I might have to take up other jobs in the coming months,” he added.
Lockdown diaries
Our state has been reeling under lockdown for weeks now. The government and police department may have their reasons for closing doors on many people’s lives and livelihoods, but that doesn’t make the trouble go away. Everyday, in this space, TNIE zooms into the life of one of us, beaten down by the pandemic-induced restrictions. Want us to tell a story? Write to the editor on kochicityeditor@gmail.com