The number of women auto drivers in Bengaluru has been increasing since the Covid-19 outbreak. The job has helped them become financially stable, they tell Metrolife.
Adarsh Auto Drivers’ Union has 14,000 members, of which, only 18 are women. “It may seem like a small number but it is a start. Most of them joined our union only about a year ago. The numbers are increasing. Currently, we’re training 30 more women drivers,” says C Sampath, general secretary of the city-based auto union.
Covid-induced job losses and the advent of electric vehicles have a part to play. Sampath says, “The electric auto has been a boon to women auto drivers. They are easier to drive, because you don’t have to worry about the clutch and gear. We have noticed that women are more comfortable with electric autos.”
Higher income
Auto Rickshaw Drivers Union (ARDU) is another prominent auto drivers’ union in the city. But it has only one female member. Her name is Nagalakshmi S P. She took to this profession four years ago.
“As a single mother, I’m constantly thinking of ways to provide for my children. Before I started driving an auto, I had tried multiple other jobs. But at the end of the day, my salary wouldn’t be more than Rs 500 per day. That wasn’t enough to run a house. But as an auto driver, I can make between Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000 per day,” says the 41-year-old, adding that the higher income is encouraging more women to join the male-dominated field.
“Post-Covid, the cost of living has become more expensive. Many women I know have part-time jobs and they also drive autos to make ends meet,” she adds.
K Asharani, also a single parent, has been making a living as an auto driver for the past six years. She has trained two women to join the field since the pandemic. “I met these women as customers. They were surprised to see a female auto driver. After I shared my experience with them, they asked if I could teach them and I was more than happy to do that. Now both of them are professional auto drivers,” says the 33-year-old who lives in Uttarahalli.
Night driving
Most of these women end their shifts around 8-9 pm. Unlike their male counterparts, they don’t feel confident driving their auto at night.
“We don’t have the luxury of accepting rides at night like our male colleagues. Our safety is obviously an issue but we also need to return home to tend to our families and take care of our children,” Nagarathna, an auto driver from Guttahalli, reasons. The 41-year-old joined the profession during the pandemic.
Regardless of the safety concerns, Nagarathna likes her job. “It has helped me become independent. Plus, it is rewarding to see the smiles on my customers’ face, especially women. Those are priceless. Many people compliment us for our courage. I hope I’m able to encourage more women like me, who don’t have enough educational qualifications, to be independent,” she shares.
Hostile colleagues
However, women drivers don’t always receive the same appreciation from their male colleagues. “They get defensive. They think we’re here to take away their jobs. Some of them are rude and have also been violent towards me. At the end of the day, we are here to earn a livelihood like them. The discord is unnecessary,” says Asharani.