Cab drivers face financial crisis amid lockdown, seek govt help

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], April 18 (ANI): Cab and auto-rickshaw drivers in Telangana, who are forced to give up their source of income and sit idle at home amid the coronavirus lockdown, have asked the central and state governments for financial assistance.
Movement of all vehicles, except for those providing essential services and commodities, is prohibited during the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
"There is no work for me for the past month. It has become very difficult to manage our day to day expenses. Our children are also suffering. We request the state and central governments to help us," Dhanraj, an Uber driver in Hyderabad, told ANI on Saturday.
He said that while they are getting ration from the government, they also need some additional assistance when it comes to saving their livelihood.
"Ever since the lockdown was imposed, my vehicle has been parked due to which I am facing a lot of problems. My family has run out of money and we are unable to buy even things of basic needs. The government should help us drivers in these tough times," Pratap, an Ola driver said.
He said that many drivers are even unable to pay back the instalments of the loans they have taken.
Eshwar, a private cab driver, said that the drivers are unable to earn a living amid the lockdown and sought assistance from the government saying, "We are facing a lot of financial problems. We have parents and children to take care of. We have to pay instalments of our vehicles and rent for our houses, etc. We can't afford to sit at home."
Meanwhile, cab drivers affiliated with Uber and Ola have also requested the Transport Department to grant them an amnesty period and not seize their cabs or impose penalties during the lockdown.
Ola and Uber have both also launched driver relief funds to help their driving partners meet their immediate and essential family needs during the coronavirus crisis. (ANI)