Drivers resort to selling fruits and vegetables

Despite the permission of the State Government to operate public vehicles during lockdown, various e-rickshaw and auto-rickshaw drivers have taken to selling vegetables and fruits during the lockdown.

While some of them said that restricted number of passengers was making it hard for them to earn sufficient money for their families’ survival, others said that unlike operating public transport this is a stable work in the current crisis.

 "I am selling vegetables in my e-rickshaw since April. I earn decent money which is around Rs 300 to Rs 400 every day. Obviously, this is much less than what I earn driving my e-rickshaw but it is a stable income.

I drove my e-rickshaw for two days last week, I hardly earned more than Rs 200.

So, I will sell vegetables until the situation gets normal in Dehradun," said a local e-rickshaw driver.

 A local auto-rickshaw driver Rupesh Bohra who sells fruits in his rickshaw said that number of people who commute every day during lockdown is less while the operators of three-wheeler vehicles are more.

Therefore, not everyone is earning their livelihood by driving public transport, informed Bohra. "This is the reason I am selling fruits. I use my auto-rickshaw to buy fruits for myself and for some other vendors from the Mandi.

The earnings are not that high but it is quite better than driving auto-rickshaw," he added.