Mangaluru: With demonetisation taking place and the economy going cashless, autorickshaw drivers in Mangaluru on Tuesday installed mobile wallet Paytm in their vehicles.
Autorickshaw Drivers’ Union leader Ashok Shetty addressing mediapersons said that GPS would have to be installed which would provide security not only to the passengers but to the drivers’ as well. Moreover, displaying advertisements could help the drivers’ earn an additional income of about Rs 1,500 a month.
Earlier ACE had given the idea of having GPS in rickshaws along with an LED advertisement board at the back. Now, rickshaw drivers can also serve the citizens of Mangaluru through a mobile app that supports “auto on call” feature to help people in need. “Situation of autorickshaw in-availability in the city will not remain a reality after this mobile app is put to use. Auto rickshaws can be booked to the last mile connectivity and using the location of the user’s house, auto drivers can reach their customers home safely”, Ashok said.
To meet financial requirements, the Kudla Souharda Sahakari (KSS), a cooperative of autorickshaw drivers has implemented several schemes which will help in meeting the technological demands. Training will be provided and a call centre will be set up to help customers. KSS has pioneered this initiative with seven vehicles and there are plans to bring at least 200 vehicles into the Paytm fold shortly, according to Sahakari President Prakash.
“All the rickshaws will get equipped with PayTM gates but there are over 16,000 rickshaws all over Dakshina Kannada. However 4,000 rickshaws will be provided with e-payment method in a six month phase”, Auto Community Empowerment (ACE) Committee said.
Leader of BJP’s Rickshaw Drivers’ Association, Vedavyas Kamath said that there should be smart rickshaws to be a part of smart city. “This initiative will support rickshaw drivers in their day to day runs and avoid excessive spending when the app is used well”, he added.
Mangaluru Senior Citizens Association General Secretary K. Ramesh Rao flagged off the Paytm autorickshaws.
