M. Shajahan (29) of Marakadai feels that driving autorickshaws is profitable if the drivers are ready to be on the move, and not get struck with stand culture.
He said that he was attached to a stand at Marakadai till the new fares were fixed on October 16, 2014. “We spent more time waiting for customers to come to us, and haggled with them,” he added.
He said that on an average he got four trips and managed to earn about Rs. 400 a day.
“Now I don’t go to the stand. I am earning Rs. 800 to Rs. 900 from about 10 trips,” he said. He said that everyday he spends Rs. 200 for fuel, and sets aside Rs. 7,000 a month for paying loan amount.
Shajahan said that he is able to take home around Rs. 11,000 a month and it would go up to Rs. 18,000 once the loan is fully paid.
Driver R. Prem (43) of Race Course said that he too is able to earn better after he stopped going to the stand. Drivers hint that illegal autorickshaw stands would soon go, if drivers started reaching out to commuters for the betterment of their business. T. Selvaraj, managing director of Makkal Auto says that he has been operating at the old fare announced by the government even before the new fares came to effect. According to him with more drivers plying by the government fixed meter fare, the number of calls received by their call centre has dropped by 50 per cent. They used to receive around 5,000 calls earlier before the new fares were announced on October 16.
He said that their autorickshaw fleet has expanded from 60 to 100 vehicles before the new rates came into effect and at present as the new rates are further more profitable compared to the earlier fares.
S. Shajahan, director of Namma Auto, said that they have planned to expand their fleet from the existing 70 autorickshaws to 300 in a phased manner.
