Taxi drivers in Shimla suffer finiancial losses amid COVID-19 pandemic

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 12 : The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected several sectors across the country, including taxi drivers in Shimla, who claim that they are struggling to pay loans amid this crisis.
According to Narendra Thakur, the General Secretary of the Devbhoomi Himachal Pradesh Taxi Operation Association, over 20,000 people have become jobless in the state due to the pandemic.
"I had three vehicles and had to sell off two vehicles to clear EMIs and road taxes. Over 20,000 people have become jobless in the state and 40,000 are on the verge of losing jobs as there is no business left due to the pandemic," Thakur told ANI.
"Several taxi operators in Shimla are worried about their future as many of them had mortgaged their land to start taxi operations. The business has been terribly hit, as we are heavily dependent on tourists," he added, saying that the lockdown was enforced at the peak of the tourist months so we have had to face a lot of financial burdens.
"There are around 16,000 taxi operators in Shimla. I have not touched my vehicle for over 7 months now. There are no jobs left and I don't have any other means of livelihood. I want to sell my taxi but I can't find a buyer for that too," a taxi operator said.
As many 181 new COVID-19 cases and 104 recoveries were recorded in Himachal Pradesh on Friday, taking the total number of active cases in the state to 2,950.
The state has so far reported 8,965 positive cases including 5,928 recoveries and 70 deaths.