Video Producer: Maaz Hasan
Video Editor: Puneet Bhatia
My Name is Bhuvnesh. I have been a bike taxi rider since 2019. On 20 February, the Delhi government imposed a ban on (non-commercial) bike taxis, which has jolted my livelihood.
The ban forced me to move to Noida to sustain my livelihood. The Delhi government should have thought about the ban. If they were imposing a ban on us, then they should give us alternate job opportunities. I have a family to take care of and a rent of Rs 4,000 per month to pay. I don't have my own house.
Earlier, I made Rs 1,000-12,000 per day while working in Delhi. Since we cannot go to Delhi, I earn only around Rs 400-500 per day in Noida. If there is a ride to Gurugram, we will have to cross Delhi, which we cannot do. So, we are unable to go to Gurugram. Even to go to Faridabad, we have to cross Delhi. So, we are not able to go to Faridabad. We are facing severe losses.
The government wants us to switch to the yellow commercial number plate, but that won't solve our problem because we wouldn't be able to go to Delhi even after switching to the yellow number plate. It would still require a permit. Delhi Government doesn't have a policy for it at the moment.
We are hearing that from 1 April, bike taxis will also be banned in Noida. If that happens, I, along with thousands of bike taxi riders, would be jobless.
The government, be it state or centre, should develop a new policy so that bike taxi riders don't face these issues. They should develop an app through which we can pay the tax. We are willing to pay taxes. When we complete any ride, our company takes tax from us. We pay them the tax. Similarly, if the government comes up with an app where we can pay taxes, then we will pay the tax there.
Earlier, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot had said, "Aggregator policy for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers is in its final stage and will be rolled out soon, which will help them to apply for a licence under the new scheme."
We hope that a new policy will solve these issues as it's a matter of our livelihood.
(All 'My Report' branded stories are submitted by citizen journalists to The Quint. Though The Quint inquires into the claims/allegations from all parties before publishing, the report and the views expressed above are the citizen journalist's own. The Quint neither endorses, nor is responsible for the same.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)