Rickshaw puller empowers himself with e-rickshaw

After buying a new rickshaw, Siraz Ahmed became the only rickshaw puller in Delhi University’s North Campus with a motor engine in his three-wheeler.

His rickshaw puller friends are now his competitors who are in envy of him since the past one month, he said.

Ahmed, 48, bought the rickshaw with a bike’s engine attached in its front wheel from Old Delhi. Now he has to hardly peddle his way like other rickshaw pullers.

The engine makes no noise and the rickshaw runs as smooth and as fast as a scooter can.

The ride is also more convenient than in an electric rickshaw where people have to cramp up next to each other.

On Wednesday, he was teased by an electric rickshaw driver who was taking five people for Rs 50 (Rs 10 each), whereas Ahmed was taking only one for Rs 30 for a lesser distance.

The e-rickshaw driver made a passive aggressive comment on Ahmed, “Are you trying to make new market for motor rickshaws now?” Ahmed retorted gleefully, “Ab dus rupaye wali sawaari toh main dekhta hi nhi,” (Now I don’t even look at Rs 10 rides).

Ahmed has no regret for buying this one for Rs 40, 000. I had to sell some of my wife’s gold jewellery for it,” he said.

An ordinary one would have costed him Rs 10, 000. But he still went for this. “I think this is an investment,” he said. According to Ahmed, he covers more distance in lesser time now and is able to take more passengers during the day.

Earlier he earned Rs 300 per day and now he earns over 600, he said. Ahmed has been running a rickhaw since 1985 when even after two years of passing his Inter exam and he did not get any job.