Kavi Ravindra, an Uber bike rider, has a custom-installed bike shield that resembles a car roof.
Credit: DH PHOTO/Anupama Mani
Bengaluru: With summer temperatures touching 35°C in Bengaluru this year — higher than those in Mumbai and Delhi — the city’s bike taxi riders are bearing the brunt of the heat.
Along with unpredictable rain, riding conditions have become increasingly challenging for those who spend the entire day on the road.
The intense weather has forced many hail riders to reduce their working hours, with some choosing to operate only during the evening. However, others are adapting to the conditions in innovative ways to ensure both their own comfort and customer satisfaction.
Kavi Ravindra, an Uber bike rider, has attracted attention for his unique solution — a custom-installed bike shield that resembles a car roof. The shield, sourced from Sepal, a Hyderabad-based company, has a front glass plate and an overhead cover. “This protects me from the heat and also from the rain, to an extent,” said Ravindra. “Customers were also happy and many of them said it was the first time they’d seen something like this.”
Ramakrishna H, an Ola bike rider, relies on scarves, long T-shirts, sun sleeves, and masks to protect himself from the heat and dust. "I can work in the rain by wearing a raincoat, but that doesn’t apply to customers," he explained. "Because of that, rides often get cancelled during the rain, and I end up losing more than Rs 1,000.”
But even these protective measures come with limitations, and sometimes the extra gear triggers health issues.
Anthony Christy Rohan, a Rapido rider, shared his concerns: “While sun-sleeves and scarves are protective, it is not possible to wear them all the time. I cannot stop sweating when I wear them — it only makes me feel hotter. I get throat infections because of the heat and dust.”
A shopkeeper in Shivajinagar, who makes innovative gear for two-wheelers, cars, and cycles, told DH, "We make a lot of roof-type covers for cycles and two-wheeler riders. We custom make them according to the vehicle in question. For cyclists, it is usually for the back seat or carrier. For bikes, especially lightweight ones, we fit extra shades to cover the top from the heat, and riders also ask for accessories that protect them from brushing against other vehicles.”