One of the most common complaints heard around the city when the skies start to open up is the lack of availability of cabs and autos. Thousands of stranded commuters wait for sometimes up to an hour to find a cab to take them to their destinations. Many wonder why this happens despite a surge in rates during rain, but the drivers and owners say that they would rather miss out on a few hours’ pay than spend their entire month’s earnings on the repair of cars in case of breakdowns.
With inundated roads becoming a common feature in the city during the rain, this, combined with potholes, make it extremely difficult for any vehicle to navigate through. These issues lead to the breakdown of vehicles in the middle of the road, which renders drivers helpless and impacts their pockets.
“Often, when there is rain, we cannot see the potholes. One wrong move and the car gets filled with water. If the water reaches the engine, then we have to stop right then and there. We have to call a friend to help us tow the vehicle,” explained Rajesh, who is attached to an aggregator. He added that repairing the engine would cost anywhere between ₹60 and ₹85,000 depending on the make and model of the car.
The drivers also mentioned that main roads and busy areas are more inundated and difficult to drive through than the outskirts. Marathahalli, Sarjapur, Hebbal, JP Nagar, HSR Layout, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Mahalakshmi Layout, and Horamavu rides are their nightmares. They acknowledged turning off their apps during heavy rains as it is safer to do so.
“Just a few hours ago, a friend got into an accident (due to reduced visibility in rain) and his vehicle is now damaged near Hebbal. There are special rain rates, it is true, but it is not worth spending thousands for a few hundreds. There is no guarantee that we can bring the vehicle home in safe condition. Towing charges depend on the distance and if we have customers inside when the car breaks down, then we feel guilty for not being able to drop them home,” lamented Lokesha, another cab driver.
Similar is the plight of autorickshaw drivers. Unlike their cab driving counterparts, these drivers are not even protected from rain and winds. It is also easier for the water to enter into their vehicles as there are no doors. They also have to spend at least a few thousands on repair and service, in case of breakdowns.
“We know that we should provide our services to the passengers, but the auto drivers have families too. They have their own financial problems. These are the kind of people who cannot afford to spend extra on vehicle repairs. There are some kind hearted customers who pay an extra ₹10 or ₹20 to value our service, but most have a problem with paying extra even during extreme weather conditions when the auto drivers cannot find another customer on their way back and have to return empty”, said Sampath, general secretary, Adarsha Auto Union.
Delivery partners cannot turn off
Cab and auto drivers might turn off their apps in the rain, but food delivery partners do not get their day’s pay if their targets are not met. Come rain or shine, they have to deliver their orders. While the food aggregator companies arrange support for food deliveries in case of vehicle breakdowns, they do nothing to help the delivery partners.
“Driving on the city roads on any given day is dangerous, let alone the rainy days. The rain surge rates have also been cut down in the recent days on both Swiggy and Zomato. It is a more risk - lower reward situation now for delivery partners,” said Vinay Sarathy, president, United Food Delivery Partners’ Union.
