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New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS) Shabnam, who has been chauffeuring her South Delhi employer for the past nine years, has finally got an opportunity to start something of her own. She credits Delhi government's decision to reserve 33 per cent i.e. 1,406 of the 4,261 electric autos for women.
"I am happy that I will have a vehicle of my own that I can drive as per my own convenience. At my previous job, I had to be present for 10 hours a day. But from now onwards, I can choose my own timings and also take out time for my family in between," she shared.
During the launch of an e-auto mela on Monday, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot inaugurated five such autos being driven by women.
This step would increase the presence of women in public transport and overall women's safety on the road.
However, men who have been driving the three-wheeler in the capital for over one to two decades now have a different story to share. "Since Supreme Court's 2007 orders, all the autos in the capital are running on cleaner fuels. So, we do not think that these e-autos are really needed right now. And if the government is so keen to roll them out for a green future then why not make them future-ready and economically sustainable auto-drivers as well," said Indrajit Sachdeva - president of Auto Parivar: Charitable Welfare Society, who is also running a campaign to spread awareness on the topic amongst auto wallahs in Delhi.
Sachdeva, who met Joint Commissioner Secretariat Navlendra Kumar Singh to put forth the group's grievances told IANS that he intimated the transport department representative about the following points:
Electric autos will take more time and money to charge. It may vary from manufacture to manufacture but auto drivers will be at loss. We will have to spend Rs 165 for driving for 90 kilometres. In the case of CNG, we have to spend Rs 100-150 for 200 km. Ownership of the battery will not lie with the auto driver, but the company, why? Autos body is very fragile. We will have to get separate insurance for auto and battery. What if a woman's auto due to insufficient charge or some other technical problem gets stuck in midway. Is there any strategy planned out for such a crisis? What is being done to ensure that permits for women-driven e-autos are not being sold to another party?
The special joint commissioner has assured to hold a meeting with e-auto manufacturers in this regard and get back to the auto drivers in Delhi in about a week.
--IANS
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