By IANS,
New Delhi: A crippling autorickshaw strike in the capital Thursday proved to be a bonanza for the city’s hard-pressed cycle rickshaw pullers who usually make no more than Rs.100 a day.
“This is our day. I have already earned today what we don’t earn in a week,” said Raju, an overworked rickshaw puller in Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi.
“Since buses are crowded and there are no autos, many people had no option but to turn to us,” he said.
For once, the traffic police looked the other way as rickshaw pullers ventured into neighbourhoods they are not allowed to enter.
Said student Bhavna Goel: “I had to go to Moti Bagh from Greater Kailsh. With no auto and failing to find a taxi, I stopped a rickshaw. He happily agreed to pedal me. It took one and a half hours to cover the distance.”
“I have never sat on a rickshaw but today I took one from Lajpat Nagar to Okhla Phase III,” added Ankit Lal, who works with a private company.
Ritika Sinha, a media professional, had a similar story: “It was weird to be on a rickshaw going through roads where rickshaws normally don’t ply. I had no option. It was better than getting into an overcrowded bus.”
Delhi is home to tens of thousands of cycle rickshaws but they are not allowed to operate in several areas. Most rickshaw pullers are migrants who on most days earn around hundred rupees.