Women in Indore drive e-rickshaws to help corona warriors to reach workplaces

May 07, 2020

Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 7 : As a goodwill gesture, some women in Indore are driving e-rickshaws to provide pick and drop facility to coronavirus warriors from their home to their workplaces at the time when the cases of COVID-19 are growing across the country with each passing day.

These women drivers are also receiving money from the district health department for providing their services in these testing times. They are being given Rs 400 everyday and a free ration from the state government.
Not only that, the state administration has also given them sanitizers and masks for keeping themselves safe from the lethal infection. Notably, while in power Kamal Nath government had given e-rickhshaws to hundred women in Indore last year. At present, only 21 are plying on the roads as the owners are having tough times to make their both ends meet due to the lockdown.

Rekha Uike, an e-rickshaw driver told ANI that she undertook this task after her husband became jobless due to the lockdown.

"After my husband became jobless, I started riding e-rickshaw to earn the livelihood. I am doing this after the administration has told me to help the health workers. I am providing pick and drop facility to these health workers from their respective homes," she said while speaking to ANI.

"We are feeling safe now while commuting as we are using e-rickshaws now. There are no other transport facility available at present," said Alpana, a health worker.

Dr Amit Malakar, Nodal Officer also spoke to ANI on the same and said, "The workers who do not have their own vehicles, they are using e-rickshaws now. We are using 21 e-rickshaws and money is also provided to the drivers by the department."