Living Conditions and Challenges Faced by Auto Rickshaw Drivers - a Study in Tirur Municipality

LIVING CONDITIONS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY AUTO RICKSHAW DRIVERS - A STUDY IN TIRUR MUNICIPALITY

A dissertation submitted to the University of Kerala in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Master of Arts Degree Examination in Sociology

Submitted by

SARATH K. P

Exam Code: 56013405

Candidate Code: 56017115011

Subject Code: SO245

LOYOLA COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

SREEKARIYAM, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM- 695017, KERALA

UNIVERSITY OF KERALA

2017-2019

CERTIFICATION OF APPROVAL

This is to certify that this dissertation entitled “Living Conditions and Challenges faced by Auto Rickshaw Drivers - A Study in Tirur Municipality” is a record of genuine work done by Mr. Sarath K P, fourth semester, Master of Social Work student of this college under my supervision and guidance and that it is hereby approved for submission.

24/09/2019

Thiruvananthapuram

Dr. Smitha Pillai

Research Guide

Department of Sociology Loyola College of Social Sciences

Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram-17

Recommended for forwarding to the University of Kerala,

Dr. Nisha Jolly Nelson Head, Department of Sociology

Loyola College of Social Sciences Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram-17

Forwarded to the University of Kerala,

Dr. Saji. P. Jacob Principal Loyola College of Social Sciences Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram-17

DECLARATION

I, SARATH K. P do here by declare that the Dissertation Titled “LIVING CONDITIONS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY AUTO RICKSHAW DRIVERS - A STUDY IN TIRUR MUNICIPALITY” is based on the original work carried out by me and submitted to the University of Kerala during the year 2017-2019 towards partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts in Sociology Degree Examination. It has not been submitted for the award of any degree, diploma, fellowship or other similar title of recognition before.

Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram Mr. Sarath K. P

24/09/2019

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Fore mostly I extend profound thanks to Almighty God who has blessed me the opportunities and intellectual ability to complete my research successfully.

I was lucky to have Dr. Smitha Pillai, faculty of the Sociology Department, Loyola College of Social Sciences as my guide. She was the leading spirit in my endeavor; she had motivated me in my times of my confusion, stood for me, with me. At this juncture I extend my heartfelt respect and gratitude for all the pain that she had taken for the completion of my study.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Saji. P. Jacob, Principal Loyola College of Social Sciences and Dr. Nisha Jolly Nelson, Head of the Sociology Department, Dr. Lakshmi Chandran and Prasad R faculty Members Department of Sociology for their help on various occasions during the course of this work.

I express my sincere thanks to Dr. Sunil Kumar, Librarian and Mr. George Mathew assistant librarian, Loyola College of Social Sciences for providing necessary reference materials, and their kind support for the successful completion of my work so far.

I express my sincere gratitude to all the respondents who have participated in the process of my data collection.

It would not have been possible for me to successfully complete this work without the constant encouragement and support of my beloved family.

I could never conclude this without mentioning my dearest friends whose whole hearted support made me to present this before you.

SARATH K. P

CONTENTS

Sl. No Chapters Page Number

1 Introduction 1 – 10

2 Review of literature 11 – 25

3 Research Methodology 26 – 31

4 Data Analysis and Interpretations 32 – 50

5 Findings, Suggestions and Conclusion 51 – 56

6 Bibliography and Appendix 57 - 61

LIST OF TABLES

Sl. No Title of Table Page Number

1 33 EFFECT DUE TO THE INCREASE OF

PRIVATE VEHICLE

2 INCREASE OF PRIVATE VEHICLES 34

3 EFFECT OF INCREASED PETROL PRICE 35

4 EFFECT OF FUEL PRICE IN INCOME 36

37 INCREASE IN PETROL PRICE AND ITS 5 EFFECT IN AUTO CHARGE

6 38 EFFECT DUE TO THE INCREASE OF ONLINE TAXI

7 39 EFFECT IN INCOME DUE TO THE HIKE IN THE VEHICLE TAX

8 EFFECT OF VEHICLE TAX 40

9 HEALTH PROBLEMS 41

10 TYPES OF HEALTH ISSUES 42

11 EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION 43

12 STATUS OF OCCUPATION 44

13 EXPERIENCE IN OCCUPATION 45

14 RENT GIVEN TO THE OWNERS 46

15 47 SATISFACTION WITH INCOME

16 LEISURE TIME WITH FAMILY 48

17 WELFARE MEASURES FROM GOVERNMENT 49

18 STATUS OF TREATMENT 50

ABSTRACT

It is very much right that auto rickshaw service renders a connecting task from door to destination, whereas other public transport connects people from destination to destination. The auto rickshaw is a common form of urban transport, both as a vehicle for hire and for private use, in many countries around the world, especially those with tropical or subtropical climates, including many developing countries.

This study covers Tirur Municipality as a representative town of Malappuram district. This research is focusing rightly towards those aspects of failures regarding income stability, the socio economic living conditions. The researcher studied the instability of income and its challenges of auto drivers in Tirur municipality. The study is relevant since auto rickshaw drivers, a considerable group of population in our society facing many challenges in the newly evolving socio economic situations. There is a high need of addressing the issues and challenges faced by these drivers in order effectively frame welfare policies and schemes for their betterment. It is the responsibility of the government to provide facilities for auto rickshaw drivers.

The nature of the study is descriptive and diagnostic attempt to provide a clear picture of the problem faced by the respondents. Both explorative and explanatory designs are used in this study. Structured questionnaire was prepared on the basis of the pilot study conducted. Questionnaire include the socio economic background of the auto drivers, the challenges faced due to increase of private vehicles, effect of the increase of fuel price on their income, effect of increase in tax and insurance on the auto drivers and the major health issues of auto drivers. The study found that the increase of the private vehicles really affected the earnings of the auto drivers. Most of the regular customers have shifted to use their own private vehicles for the travel. It reduced the trips which was regular to them. 68% of the people opined that there is an adverse effect in the income due to the increase of online taxi services. The study revealed that the work environment and the nature of job contribute significantly in the causation of diseases.

KEY WORDS – Living conditions, challenges, auto rickshaw, auto rickshaw drivers

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

The history of human civilization is closely interlinked with the development and advancement in the field of transportation. Transportation accounts for as much as 20 per cent of the Gross National Product in the advanced countries. Road and Road transportation are essential infrastructure for the growth and development of economy of a nation. The United States Department of Transportation in its 1972 National Transport Report stated that ―The national transport system is a major component in the national economy; and an important factor in shaping the life style of the people, community development and industrial location pattern.‖

Road Transport has vital role to play in the development and opening up of backward and interior or remote areas of the country. India being a Developing economy, road transport deserves a high priority as it forms the Backbone of both the passenger transport and the freight movement. The Private sector operates 60 per cent of the passenger services. The urban Transport systems are predominantly operated by the private agencies under Self- employment programmes. Predominately among them includes the taxis and auto- rickshaws.

Transport is the de-facto barometer of economic, social and commercial progress which transforms the entire world into one organized unit. It carries Ideas and inventions to the peoples of different countries; and has considerably contributed to the evolution of human civilization. A growing economy needs a speedy, efficient and cheap system of transport. In a country like India as in the case of any other developing country, the first pre-requisite of economic development is the development of transport facilities.

Road transport particularly motor transport by joining different parts of the country carries the fruits of development of different parts, resulting in an increased demand for the goods. This finally stimulates industry and agriculture, widens the scope for trade and commerce and other essential activities, and gives a real push to the

1 developmental process. Thus, encouragement of transport by the growth of industry and agriculture, by fostering a balanced regional growth of industry and agriculture, and by raising the overall level of consumption finally brings about a rise in the living standards of the people. A well-knit transport system is a sine-quo-non for all-round and sound development of economy. It contributes different components and different sectors of the economy, and affects all parts of development such as accessibility, flexibility and reliability.

The economic, social and political progress of a country depends on the pace progress of transport system. Full benefits of developments in any field; be it agriculture, cultural activities, education, health, social welfare and industry can trickle down to the common man only if the efficient transport system is available. Thus, transportation is the life-blood of civilization and constitutes an important item of infrastructure for economic growth.

The benefits of economic development contrary to the expectations have failed to trickle down to the lower level income group of persons in the society. The gap between the haves and the have-nots is continuously widening. It may be due to failure of the implementation or due to selection of wrong priorities in the developmental effort. This tendency of widening gap between rich and poor should not be allowed to grow any more as it is socially and politically dangerous. Furthermore, in order to build better and healthy society, it is highly essential to remove imbalances in the society.

Auto-drivers belong to the lower income group. They provide door to door service and act as a freedom mode to public transit with 9% of train commuters using Auto rickshaws to access the stations. Auto drivers play an integral transport role to the people. There are still problems with the current system from the passengers, drivers and the government.

In simple words, transport means the movement of people and goods from one place to another. Fair and Williams8 used the word transportation as the movement of persons or property from one place to another. Hanson defined transport as ―one of the ancillaries of commerce.‖ The Chambers Dictionary defines transport as ―to carry and convey‖, and transportation as ―carriage from one place to another: the conveyance to troops and their necessities.‖

Auto rickshaws are a common means of public transportation in many countries in the world. It is a motorized version of the traditional pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Auto-rickshaws provide door-to-door service and act as a feeder mode to public transit. It can reach up to every corner and enter into every street of the places concerned.

1.1 ORIGIN OF AUTO RICHKSHAW

The word rickshaw originated from the Japanese word jinrikisha where Jin stands for human, Riki I for power or force and Sha for vehicle, giving rise to the literal meaning ―human powered vehicle‖.

Originally invented in Japan around the 1869, it was the result of a lifting of ban on wheeled vehicles form the Edo or the Tokugawa Period (1603-1868). It was a time of major technological advancement and a boom in the urban sector in Japan which gave birth to the rickshaw. There is much on-going debate about the inventor of the rickshaw as a lot of people claim to have invented it for their own personal needs through various sources of inspiration. Isumi Yosuke with Suzuki Tokujiro and TakayamaKosukeis believed to have invented the first rickshaw in Japan in 1869. On the other hand, the Burlington County Historical Society in New Jersey claims to have an 1867 invention of the rickshaw by James Birch.

The invention is on display at the Burlington County Historical Society museum till date. For now we will keep the debate about the inventor aside and assume the most widely accepted theory of its Japanese origin by the trio and carry on with our focus on its evolution in the Indian context. With the rise in the need for cheap transportation due to urbanization and foreign trade, within no time the rickshaw popularized in metro cities of the Asian continent. By 1870, 40,000 rickshaws were operational on the streets of Tokyo. The availability of cheap man-power was one of the major reasons behind the popularization of rickshaws. This in turn resulted in a

3 huge production of this low-cost vehicle and its export to other countries in the Asian subcontinent and South Africa where cheap man-power was in abundance.The primary effects of transport are:

(1) Expansion of transport facilities results in directly improving the service sector.

(2) Improvement in transportation gives ample scope for the development of new regions and resources, and

(3) Transportation helps in expansion of markets

1.2 THE INDIAN CONTEXT

Around 1880, rickshaws appeared in India, first introduced in Shimla by Reverend J. Fordyce. In Kolkata, rickshaw was introduced by the Chinese Traders around 1900, primarily to carry goods. The history of Chinese in Kolkata is unique and now Kolkata is the only city of India where Chinatown still exists. This city was geographically the easiest accessible metropolitan area from China by land. Yang Tai Chow was the first person of Chinese origin to arrive Kolkata in 1778.

He worked in a sugar mill with the eventual goal of saving enough to start a tea trade. Many of the earliest Chinese immigrants worked on the Khidderpore docks as dock labour. A police report in 1788 mentioned a considerable Chinese population settled in the Bow Bazaar Street. One of the earliest records it is found that the Hakka community was coming since 1820 in Kolkata. According to a police census, there were about 362 Chinese people (Pamela, 2003).

They mainly lived in Bow Bazaar area. In the early phase of 20th century the Chinese engaged as dock labour, started the business of hand pulled rickshaw. That time this Man Powered Vehicle was mainly used to carry goods in port area. Then they started to operate it in various part of Kolkata City as goods cart. In 1914 Chinese applied for permission to use rickshaws to transport passengers. British rulers made 'hand- pulled rickshaw' as the cheap mode of transport in 1919 by implementation of Calcutta Hackney Carriage Act.

Soon after 'Hand-pulled rickshaw' became popular among those people who could not afford cars or cabs. Pulled rickshaw became the symbol of the city‘s culture and tradition. At that time Kolkata was not only the biggest city of the subcontinent but

4 also provided the maximum job opportunity to the neighbouring states. The informal sector of Kolkata grew further with the new job opportunity.

A large number of Bihar migrants took rickshaw pulling as their job, because it was easier than any other work. These Bihar people were mainly from the flood and prone areas of North Bihar or drought porn areas of South Bihar. The history of this cart is full of controversy and struggles. From the beginning the traffic authority of the city was not in favour of this cart considering one of the reasons of traffic congestion. From the British period, the rickshaw pullers used to face harassment from the police department. As many of them were poor migrants from undivided Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, they were easy targets for bribery.

102 After 1950, no single license was issued to the pullers but owners licenses were issued in various time. Thus, the hand rickshaw pullers licenses were decreasing day by day due to the adamant attitude of the registering authority. The rickshaw pullers also informed that pullers licenses were not renewed on time resulting in cancellation of licenses. By such process the strength of fresh or renewed licenses of the rickshaw pullers have come down to only 1750 from 24000 by 1990. So, most of the rickshaw pullers used to pull rickshaws without a proper license after 1950 (Warren, 2003). Several major streets have been closed to rickshaw traffic since 1972, and in the 1982 the city seized over 12000 rickshaws and destroyed them.

After 1980s several human right organizations including the National Human Right Commission stared to advocate in favour of removal of hand rickshaws from Kolkata as in Hong Kong and Singapore. It seemed to them as Inhuman Practice‗. These organizations argued that in 21st century, it is inhuman that one man is pulling another man‗. 106 Moreover, since the introduction of the hand pulled rickshaw, the traffic authority has complaining on this slow motion cart. According to the Traffic Department of Kolkata Police, there is only 6.5% of space as roads in the city. So for faster traffic flow, it is important to remove hand pulled carts. In 1992, it was estimated that over 30000 rickshaws were operating in the city, all about 6000 of them legally, lacking a license (no new license have been issued since 1950).

As per a 2005 survey (Action Aid & Kolkata Samaritan), there are 18000 rickshaw pullers in Kolkata. During the Operation Sunshine ‗police department also seized a considerable amount of rickshaws in the city in 1996.

A bill passed by West Bengal State Assembly described the centuries – old mode of transport as inhumane‗- [Calcutta Hackney Carriage (Amendment) Bill 2006]. After passing the 2006 amendment, the hand pulled rickshaws have become illegal in Kolkata but they still are operational in the lanes of Kolkata. So, after 2006; there is a socio-political crisis regarding the hand rickshaws and the livelihood of the rickshaw pullers.

This issue is becoming critical and seems to be unresolved due to lack of interest or concern of the authorities in 25th July 2009, the All Bengal Rickshaw Union (ABRU) invited politicians from Trinamul Congress and social activists to form a dedicated forum to ensure the right of work for the hand rickshaw pullers and owners.

Mr. Sultan Ahamed (M.P) was the chief guest as the president of the union. In this conference a new forum was formed as the Haat Rickshaw Rozgar Bachao Manch or HRRBM. But situation was unchanged till after formation of new Government 2011. Neither the amendment of 2006 was withdrawn nor licenses issued or renewed to the rickshaw pullers after recently, on 15th December 2014 the leaders of the ABRU Mr. Moktar met with the Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee to demand the rehabilitation package both for the owners and the rickshaw pullers.

Addressing a press conference, HRRBM secretary Moktar Ali said that state Government ensured that Govt. will provide 6000 battery power three wheelers against same amount of licensed rickshaws. There is a major doubt on the total number of hand rickshaws of Kolkata. Several organizations and NGOs have tried to figure out the actual number of this man powered vehicle. In 1992, it was estimated that over 30,000 rickshaws were operating in the city.

A study entitled - Hand-rickshaw Pullers of Kolkata by The Calcutta Samaritans and ActionAid highlights that there are more than 18,000 rickshaws playing on the streets of Kolkata, nearly 6,000 of who are registered with the city government. According to All Bengal Rickshaw Union (ABRU) there are about 5937 licensed rickshaws, 14000 unlicensed rickshaws, 35000 rickshaw pullers in the city and about 100000 people are directly or indirectly depending on this trade.

The clarification has come in this context on December 19, 2012 by the Mayor of the City that as per Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) records there are 8780

6 licensed hand-pulled rickshaws in the metropolis. The present day pullers are either 3rd or 4th generation pullers caring the colonial heritage with their heredity (Passenger Road Transport‘, Economic Times, 1985). A few of them have been born in the city‗s pavements and are not socially recognised. Till now, these rickshaws are used as cheap non-polluting means of travelling for short distance. Hand-pulled rickshaw is especially in demand during monsoon when flooded streets make it impossible for commuters to use taxis or cars. People in the lanes use rickshaws as a 24 hour ambulance service. Middle-class families contract with a puller to take a child to school and pick him or her up.

It is the life line in those lanes and by lanes where taxi or auto rickshaw cannot move. The hand pulled rickshaw is also used for transporting goods in the busy business hubs of the city at a cheapest rate. After 2006 amendment, officially the hand rickshaws are banned in Kolkata. But the rickshaw pullers are visible in the streets and lanes of Kolkata. Rickshaw pullers are facing abject harassment, suffering mental and physical assaults while practicing their livelihood.

Now it is a matter of public debate- but it is true that ―hand-pulled rickshaws‖ are the lifelines in the lanes of Kolkata

The Kerala Context

Kerala is a developing state having diverse nature of social set up and culture Justas it has a varied type of natural and climatic conditions. There are 14 districts in the State with a sound policy of development accepted and implemented by the respective state Governments. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood of the people of Kerala. But agriculture, alone, cannot provide the source of income of the people of the state. Besides agricultural activities we have to concentrate on other self-employment programmes for generating income for our livelihood. Lots of employment opportunities are available in our nation in the transport and service sectors.

Transport service sector is a traditional self-employment programme well accepted by a major set of people in the country. Self-owned and hired taxi cars, trucks, Lories, buses and auto rickshaws are used by the people to find a solution for their unemployment problem. A good number of persons in the municipality of Tirur have accepted the job of Auto rickshaw driving as their profession.

Auto rickshaw drivers in the municipality of Tirur are a common scene at every nook and corner of the district. A considerable number of people have accepted this as a profession to find out a way for their livelihood. A major favourable attraction for this profession is that comparatively low cost is required for the operation of the job. Persons willing to operate this job can start this profession even without spending initial capital investment of purchasing an auto rickshaw of his own that is by operating the service on hiring basis. He or she need not purchase the vehicle instead can hire the vehicle from an original vehicle owner on rent. Unfortunately auto rickshaw drivers in the state of Kerala face lots of financial and social problems especially in the municipality of Tirur.

Many studies have not been conducted in the subject seriously so far. The study on the topic ―financial practices and social status of auto rickshaw drivers in municipality of Tirur‖ thus becomes relevant to understand the social status and financial problems faced by the people of the district who are engaged in the job. People who fail to complete formal education and persons who have completed their education and fail to secure jobs normally enter into this profession. Unemployed youth finds this as an interim opportunity to earn their bread and butter till they secure a safe job.

The number of auto rickshaw drivers in the district cannot be estimated technically as data are not available regarding their number officially. Approximate percentages of one to two of the total population can be estimated as their number. It is interesting to point out that there is hardly any person in the district without taking the service of an auto rickshaw driver. To travel for a short distance, to take the students to the schools and nursery schools, to take passengers from railway station to bus stand and back home, to go for shopping and for many other day to day transportation, all types of people make use of auto rickshaws. Project study regarding the financial status and social issues of the people engaged becomes relevant, as this profession is undertaken by a set of people who belong to financially and socially backward set up.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

An auto rickshaw is a motorized development of the traditional pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. An Auto rickshaw is common form urban transport both as a vehicle for higher and for private use.

It is very much right that auto rickshaw service renders a connecting task from door to destination, whereas other public transport connects people from destination to destination. But things have been changed now. Increase in fuel price, taxation, entry of online taxi services etc. have made some differences (The Hindu, 2016). The same report also stated that many are leaving this job due to non-stability of income.

A report in the Deccan Chronicle says quoting an auto driver that unlike earlier times it is tough to make a living by driving a rickshaw here. The report covered Kozhikode city (Deccan Chronicle, 2016).

The situation is even worse in the case of hired auto drivers, drivers with vehicle loan.

Often there are policies to reduce the transport fair so that the burden will not fall on people. And also there are ordinances at intervals to increase vehicle insurances and taxes.

A daily fluctuation of the fuel price is not a fact to be proved. There are studies and polices but all those do not pay attention to the issues related to auto drivers especially in matters with income stability.There are highlights of exemplary auto drivers who helped the diseased, aged, students on their way. There are studies which focus on different aspects of the auto rickshaw drivers,but there are less studies and orientation towards their income related issues.

Despite this, auto rickshaws and their drivers face considerable criticisms from the public the media and policy makers. There is a contentious public debate about the perceived faults of auto rickshaws and their drivers, and the policies to address these issues. Increase in fuel price, taxation, entry of online taxi service etc. has also made the situation deteriorated.

Malappuram district is different regarding auto drivers. Many initiatives like women friendly auto rickshaw schemes, blood donation, and auto driver charitable association etc. are present (The Hindu, 2016). It all shows auto drivers in Malappuram district are more generous and socially committed. Even thoughthey are doing well to others, still many of them are living in miserable conditions. The daily earning is not sufficient to meet the daily needs and it is completely affecting the financial stability of the family. This existing phenomenon is making so many people to drop their job and migrate to Arab countries in order to support their families. It actually reflects

9 that the shooting development is affecting the lives of many who are trying to meet the two ends of life.This study covers Tirur Municipality as a representative town of Malappuram district. This research is focusing rightly towards those aspects of failures regarding income stability, the socio economic living conditions. The researcher is thus studying the instability of income and its challenges of auto drivers in Tirur municipality.

1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The study is relevant since auto rickshaw drivers, a considerable group of population in our society facing many challenges in the newly evolving socio economic situations. Today huge investment is demanded for the sustenance of their job because of hiked fuel price, insurance premium, tax and also the purchase price of new vehicles. There is a high need of addressing the issues and challenges faced by these drivers in order effectively frame welfare policies and schemes for their betterment. It is the responsibility of the government to provide facilities for auto rickshaw drivers.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 INTRODUCTION

A literature review is a description of the literature relevant to a particular field or topic. It gives an overview of what has been said, who the key writers are, what are the prevailing theories and hypotheses, what questions are being asked, and what methods and methodologies are appropriate and useful. The conceptual and empirical literature reviews help in establishing the rationale and credibility to the study.

2.2 STUDIES ON AUTORICKSHAW DRIVERS

D.A.V. Clement; has made a study on ‗socio economic conditions of auto rickshaw drivers in Tirunelveli district. The study has suggested that, ―the auto rickshaw is one of the major segments of automobile industry. The auto rickshaw drivers earn a very meagre income. They are in the hands of private money lenders. The rate of interest of loans is very high and the price of spare parts has also increased.

Major part of their income is spent on consumption and maintenance of the vehicle. An increase in petrol price increases the occupational expenditure leading to indebtedness. Saving is low among auto rickshaw drivers. Thus, it is felt that Government must come forward to provide welfare measures to the drivers and their families when things are beyond their control.

Ajai Sreevatsan has written an article in The Hindu newspaper on May 4, 2011. He highlighted the views of Chennai auto rickshaw drivers. A survey of more than 500 drivers throws up some interesting observations, such as why many do not prefer to use LPG. Balchand Parayath, Chief Executive Officer of City Connect, said that, ―since a number of auto rickshaws in the city are shared by two or more drivers, it is difficult to monitor fuel usage. Refuelling of LPG can only be done in certain pre- determined volumes.

Drivers prefer to hand over the auto rickshaw to another person with the same level of fuel.‖. Interestingly, the official pre-paid auto rickshaw fares (at least the one in Chennai Central) is almost equal to this value and yet many drivers demand more. According to the report, this is because of the less distance (<100km) they clock every day. According to the Chennai Traffic and Transportation Study, 72 per cent of the Chennai's trip length is short distance of less than five km.

The report says -With such a large possible rider clientele, it should be right to expect the average daily trip distance to be far in excess of the current 100 km. This is one of the reasons why other cities like Bangalore and Delhi have lesser km cost as the average distance travelled per day is around 150 km. Since many auto rickshaws operate for only 5-6 hours and are idle for the rest of the day, charges are more and this leads to a cyclic problem Currently 70 per cent of the auto rickshaws that ply in the city are owned by someone else. The driver has no stake to improve services. Also, increase the number of Auto LPG dispensing stations and enforce fare meter system after scientifically fixing fares.

The report also states that, the auto rickshaw trade has suffered due to constant conflict and ―many people are using it just for emergency. The number of trips we get has drastically come down. A senior official at the Transport Department said that aspects such as health insurance to drivers and specific training courses to help the auto rickshaw drivers are presently under consideration.

Ravindrakhaire of Bangalore has given the data of pollution by the auto rickshaw and also he carried out the health problem of auto rickshaw drivers. He has found out that, ―almost 40% decrease in air pollution on an auto-rickshaw strike day in Bangalore in main areas. On the other side the auto-rickshaw drivers face a lot of health problems than the normal public. The study was carried out in.

Auto rickshaw drivers of Delhi to determine the respiratory morbidity due to air pollution. The auto rickshaw drivers are directly exposed to the air pollutants being discharged from automobile exhaust. The main symptoms observed were cough (77 percent), eye irritation (80 percent), breathlessness (54 percent), throat irritation (25 percent), headache (6 percent) and passage of black sputum in the morning (22 percent). 6(19 percent) drivers showed normal Pulmonary Function Test (PFT). 25 (80 percent) showed mild moderate-severe obstruction, of which 12 (48 percent) were

12 non-smokers and 13 (52 percent) were smokers. The severity of obstruction was higher in the smokers. It is therefore concluded that auto rickshaw drivers have a high respiratory morbidity due to the exposure of pollution.

Leslie Phillips has stated in his study that, the auto rickshaw drivers are suffer from health problems and are treated with utter disregard by the government. Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin gained insights into India's auto rickshaw industry from the perspective of rickshaw drivers and manufacturers in March 2010. The study incorporated 26 driver interviews that were carried out in Bangalore, as well as interviews with the prominent three-wheeler manufacturers. While they are an integral part of transportation in almost every major Indian city, the auto rickshaw drivers are perceived as a nuisance to the system. The study has found that, the auto rickshaw drivers are caught in a system where they are treated with utter disregard by the government and are often resented by their own customers.

Most of the recent auto rickshaw reforms have been reactionary, as regulatory authorities and traffic police attempt to crack down on poor behaviour (traffic violations, emissions) as opposed to implementing systemic reforms. Meanwhile, manufacturers generally do not perceive rickshaw drivers as their end client, but rather focus on the passenger when designing and positioning their vehicles. This has created a crucial disconnect in the auto rickshaw industry, where the very people who ultimately drive the success of the industry (the drivers) are left out of the process.

Nimisha Srivastava has written an article about the Auto rickshaw regulation in Vadodara‗. In that article he has discussed the licensing system which affected the auto drivers. He has also stated that, -The system adopted by the government for licensing of public transport vehicles is flawed in many ways and completely ignores the problems of the members of the profession. This enables agents to demand outrageous sums of money to get any work done.

Ultimately it is the consumer who suffers as the unions of auto rickshaw drivers demand higher meter rates and the government has had to do the same. The root cause of these problems is of course the government-controlled system of licensing and checking vehicles on the road. As of now things are going on more or less smoothly until new regulation is passed to curb the growing numbers of auto rickshaws, or the pollution, this system would not be under the danger of breaking down. For example,

13 most of the auto rickshaw drivers in Delhi were put out of business when the regulation requiring auto rickshaws to convert to CNG was passed, as the licensing procedure was simply too lengthy and impractical to be efficient.

The RTO office issues around 2000 auto rickshaw-driving licenses in a year. There are about 50,000 rickshaws in Vadodara out of which only 28,149 have licenses. . As the numbers are growing, the government will sooner or later have to take stock of the situation. The licenses for driving these auto rickshaws are non-transferable, which is one of the reasons why so many autos are being plied without licenses.

Another reason is that a great number of autos are being plied not by their owners, but by people who hire them and pay rent on a daily basis. About 30-40 % of the autos are being plied in this way. In itself this is a good thing for the auto market, but it once again shows the inefficiency of the traffic police and the RTO inspectors. The drivers do not bother to obtain licenses, as the vehicle is the responsibility of the owner. Third, there are hardly any auto rickshaws that are going off the roads, as the law is silent on any age limit for auto rickshaws. So, people with limited financial resources buy 10-20 year old autos for Rs20, 000 or even less.

In the article by R. Gokul of Trichy, has stated that, ―Hiring an auto in Trichy has been an expensive affair for commuters, the auto drivers in the city continue to fleece them by charging exorbitant charges. The minimum fare touched an all-time high after the steep hike in petrol prices a couple of months ago. However, even after the oil companies reduced the petrol prices by a few rupees, the drivers are still unwilling to reduce the fares.

In order to prevent such menace, the government is how mulling mandatory use of meters in auto‗s in Chennai and the rest of the state by fixing a minimum fare. In Chennai, the minimum fare is fixed t Rs.14 and Rs.6 for additional Km. In the rest of Tamil Nadu the minimum fare is rupees seven and rupees three for every additional Km., according to the RTO office. Unfortunately these fares remain only on paper and are never taken into consideration by the auto rickshaw drivers. Even the successive governments in the state have turned a blind eye to the drivers collecting exorbitant fares. As a result of such exorbitant charges, many of the 6,500 permitted auto rickshaws fail to attract the passengers and the drivers find their survival hard ―37.

Ajai Sreevatsan has stated in his article, Chennai must start following the example of Delhi where auto rickshaw drivers who have been certified for good behaviour after undergoing training are given vehicle stickers. ―Special permission must also be given for parking tourist-friendly auto rickshaws near the Egmore museum, Fort St. George and Kapaleeswarar Temple. He also said, there are also serious problems with regard to bus services and pedestrian walkways. ―Contrary to what people think, nearly 80 per cent of the tourists belong to the low-budget category.

Some have backpacks as heavy as 25 kg and there is just no space to walk on the road. Also, airport authorities must give exemption to at least tourist-friendly auto rickshaws to enter the airport premises so that visitors to the city are not forced to walk for nearly two km with their luggage.

Keirthana from Hyderabad has written an article on ‗The woes of a share auto traveller recorded on‗. In that article she stated that, ―Enough digression! Being in Hyderabad for the past year and having used share-autos for commuting to office daily, a passenger said, ‗I have come to observe and learn the tactics needed to travel in a share-auto, which by the way is a more popular mode to commute than the local buses themselves.

So here are some almost life-changing things that might happen to you if you travel regularly by share-auto. By share-auto, I do not mean the big ones which can accommodate 8 people. It is just the normal auto used as a circus show-off carrying more than it can. The share-auto drivers are self-assumed kings of the world and will have fixed destinations. They will run their auto to and from their destinations without a single passenger but will not think of changing their route to another one even if there are a number of people waiting for a transport in a different route. Once you spot a share-auto, yell out the place where you wish to go to. If he finds you right, he is likely to stop the racing auto 10 feet forward from where you stand and look back. If you do not run to cater the auto, he will just speed off.

The Madras high court has issued notice to the state government on a public interest petition seeking a ban overloading of share auto rickshaws in the city. A vacation bench, comprising Justice C.S. Karnan and Justice K. RavindraBabu. Before whom the PIL field by social activist K.R. Traffic Ramaswamy came up for hearing, sough the government‗s reply in two weeks.

Ramaswamy contended the transport and police personnel were turning a Nelson‗s eye to the problem of share autos slugging passengers like sardines, in violation of the motor vehicle Act, 1989.Citing Rule 113 pertaining to limits of weight and limitations of use, the PIL said autos are carrying a minimum of 10 passengers Transport and police authorities stand as mere spectators. Ramaswamy said, adding that it endangered safety of passengers as well as road users‖40

Times of India has published a news item and stated that, by the share autos the overloading is now become a big problem of Tamil nadu. .More than 300 cases have been filed against auto rickshaw drivers on charges of overloading, extra fittings, and accommodating passengers in driver seats, for not wearing their uniforms among others.

With the norms against auto rickshaws being tightened, drivers in the city took out a rally and staged a demonstration on Tuesday in front of the collectorate. They charged that the police are taking stringent measures against them and that they are not able to work peacefully.

Police have seized 90 auto rickshaws for alterations and booked numerous cases on them, they said. -N. Rajkumar, president of share auto rickshaw drivers association in Madurai said that many are buying the bigger auto rickshaw with the intention of using them as share autos. Hence they should be allowed to board 7 passengers from the existing norm of three passengers, ―We are paying higher costs for these vehicles and such strict action will deprive our daily income. Besides, we are also seeking some space near bus stands so that we take passengers, he said ―41.

. An article is written entitled; ‗share autos know no rules‗. It is stated that, ―Share autos and seven-seaters are the lifeline for thousands of office-goers in the city. While these vehicles do fill in for the inadequate public transport service in the city, they flout all traffic safety rules resulting in accidents. They are shrugging off their responsibility.

A study entitled ―Hand-rickshaw Pullers of Kolkata‖ by The Calcutta Samaritans and ActionAid highlights that there are more than 18,000 rickshaws playing on the streets of Kolkata, nearly 6,000 of whom are registered with the city government. According to All Bengal Rickshaw Union (ABRU) there are about 5937 licensed rickshaws,

14000 unlicensed rickshaws, 35000 rickshaw pullers in the city and about 100000 people are directly or indirectly depending on this trade. 116 The clarification has come in this context on December 19, 2012 by the Mayor of the City that as per Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) records there are 8780 licensed hand-pulled rickshaws in the metropolis.

The present day pullers are either 3rd or 4th generation pullers caring the colonial heritage with their heredity‗. A few of them have been born in the city‗s pavements and are not socially recognised. Till now, these rickshaws are used as cheap non- polluting means of travelling for short distance. Hand-pulled rickshaw is especially in demand during monsoon when flooded streets make it impossible for commuters to use taxis or cars. People in the lanes use rickshaws as a 24 hour ambulance service. Middle-class families contract with a puller to take a child to school and pick him or her up. It is the life line in those lanes and by lanes where taxi or auto rickshaw cannot move. The hand pulled rickshaw is also used for transporting goods in the busy business hubs of the city at a cheapest rate. After 2006 amendment, officially the hand rickshaws are banned in Kolkata. But the rickshaw pullers are visible in the streets and lanes of Kolkata. Rickshaw pullers are facing abject harassment, suffering mental and physical assaults while practicing their livelihood. (1919 Calcutta Hackney Carriage Act. The Calcutta Hackney-Carriage (Amendment) Bill, 2006, p 2).

"Living conditions" refers to the circumstances of a person's life—shelter, food, clothing, safety, access to clean water. Kerala is a developing country having diverse nature of social set up and culture justas it has a varied type of natural and climatic conditions. There are 14 districts in the State with a sound policy of development accepted and implemented by the respective state Governments. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood of the people of Kerala.

But agriculture, alone, cannot provide the source of income of the people of the state. Besides agricultural activities we have to concentrate on other self-employment programmes for generating income for our livelihood. Lots of employment opportunities are available in our nation in the transport and service sectors. Transport service sector is a traditional self-employment programme well accepted by a major set of people in the country. Self-owned and hired taxi cars, trucks, Lories, buses and auto rickshaws are used by the people to find a solution for their unemployment

17 problem. A good number of persons in the district of Malappuram have accepted the job of Auto rickshaw driving as their profession.

Researcher A. Selvakumar has made a study on the unorganized workers of weavers in Chinnalapatti village. He analysed the economy, education and working conditions of the weavers. In his research he stated that, ―Educational attainment by the weavers has a direct relationship with the skill that they develop farther for the betterment of profession. In this regard it is interesting to note that 62 percent of them get educated and 38 percent are illiterate‖. And also he stated that ―it is a well- known fact that the weavers in India are put to lot of difficulties due to the dominance of power loom sector. The working condition and living conditions of weavers are pathetic. And they were forced to sell their kidneys due to poverty. From this study, we can understand the economic conditions of unorganized workers.

Geetamtiwari, Professor of transport planning, Indian institute of technology, Delhi, in his study on urban travel in Indian cities‗, has stated that, travel in India, is predominantly happening through walking, cycling and including intermediate public transport. Though there was a high growth rate of motorized two wheelers and cars in the last two decades, car ownership remains at 3-13 percent of the households and two wheelers at 40-50 percent. He also analysed the variation in model shares among these three that seem to have a relationship between city size and per capita income. Small and medium size cities have a lower income than the mega cities.

Therefore the dependence on cycle rickshaws and bicycles is higher in smaller cities. In some medium size cities (1 million to 3 million), Private bus has been introduced. Public sector run state transport corporations have been responsible for running inter- city routes. Other than the four mega cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Bangalore and Pune are the exceptions in which municipal corporations have been running significant numbers of buses14 .The study finds that city size and per capita income are important factors for growth of transport.

A.C Dhas and M. Helen have conducted a study on social security for unorganized workers in India and they stated that the, ―unorganised workers do not receive sufficient attention from the trade unions. In general, unorganised workers are

18 observed to be large in numbers, suffering from cycles of excessive seasonality of employment, scattered and fragmented work place, poor in working conditions, and lack of attention from the trade unions.

An attempt has been made to understand the nature and growth of unorganised workers, the initiatives of social security towards unorganised workers and to highlight the needs of the unorganised workers on social security aspects. The study also revealed that the unorganised workers account for about 93 per cent of the total workforce and there is a steady growth in it over years. It was also observed that the unorganised workers would expand further.

Due to globalization it was argued that even after independence, the State was concerned more with the problems of industrial and organised workforce and neglected the rural and unorganized labour force on social security matters to a greater extent, till the recent past. The social security initiatives of the Centre, State and NGO‗s indicated that the needs are much more than the supports provided and the efforts must be targeted and vast enough to cover the growing unorganised workers. In this context, it is argued that the major security needs of the unorganised workers are food security, nutritional security, health security, housing security, employment security, income security, life and accident security, and old age security.‖15 .The study concludes that 93 percent of the workforces are from unorganized workers but, they are socially and economically in insecure condition. But still there is lack of attentions from state, central government and also trade unions.

A study has been conducted with an objective to examine the social economic and working conditions of tribal workers in Neyveli by Dr. Dhamodharan of Allahabad University. The study covered the tribal workers settled in Non-tribal plain area at Neyveli. These tribal workers at Neyveli are migrated labourers. The Human Rights of the tribal men and women who form substantial part of the unorganized labour force are largely affected. He has found that, ―The conditions of Tribal workers in Neyveli are found to be pathetic. Majority of the respondents are illiterates and their traditional work of snack catching, snake charming and collecting herbal leaves in the forest area are now disturbed by strict enforcement of laws. The Government had enacted much legislation to protect the Human Rights of the Tribal Workers. As majority of the workers are illiterates they are not aware of their legal rights and as a

19 result their employers in many ways have exploited them. The Tribal Labourers are un-organized workers. It becomes easy for the employers to get rid of various legal obligations required to be performed statutorily under various Acts. The legal rights of Tribal workers are violated in many forms16. The conditions of ST workers in unorganized sector need the immediate attention of the government, employers, trade unions, N.G.Os, and mass media. Insecurity of tenure and fear of eviction from the Government lands where they have lived and thrived for generations are perhaps the biggest reasons why tribal communities feel emotionally disturbed and mentally weak in approaching their problem with courage through organized effort. Special steps have to be taken by the Government to promote welfare and development of Tribal Labourers and their families in Neyveli.‖ The study has explained about how the tribal workers are exploited and how the legal rights of the tribals are violated and it conclude that these are the reason to make them mentally weak.

Nuzhat Parveen and Dr. N.H.Patil have made a study on ,‗A Case study of construction industry‖, and they have stated that,‖ It is disheartening to note that domestic workers as a part of unorganised work force remain the most exploited ones even after five decades of independence. There are many evidences to indicate that over a period of time domestic work has become more ―feminised‖. Occupational segregation based on gender has been a global phenomenon.

That is the reason why in the past few years gender based segregation has been a most commonly shared concern among researchers and social activists. As far as Indian scenario is concerned we find through the statistics that women workers number of women workers in India is 91 million out of a total workforce of about 315 million. Majority of these women are engaged in the unorganised sectors such as agriculture, cotton and tea plucking, pottery, handloom, construction and domestic services. To substantiate the fact, Pareira‗s (1984) study reveals that 78% of domestic helpers in 12 cities were female. In another study by Dighe and Choudhury (1988) it was found that there was as increase of 21.3% in the number of female workers in the Union Territory of Delhi from 1971 to 1981.

These women who are occupied in constitute only one third of the total workforce in N.G.Os, and mass media. Insecurity of tenure and fear of eviction from the Government lands where they have lived and thrived for generations are perhaps the

20 biggest reasons why tribal communities feel emotionally disturbed and mentally weak in approaching their problem with courage through organized effort. Special steps have to be taken by the Government to promote welfare and development of Tribal Labourers and their families in Neyveli.‖ The study has explained about how the tribal workers are exploited and how the legal rights of the tribal are violated and it conclude that these are the reason to make them mentally weak.

Health is one of the major indicators which reflecting the excellence of life and therefore it has been rightly said "Health is Wealth". Good health is an essential requirement for the enjoyment of every aspect of life. Share auto drivers are exposed to a number of health problems as a direct result of the posture adopted in driving. A diet high in fats and carbohydrates and low in fresh fruit, salads and fibre will add to the level of poor health. Auto rickshaw drivers are not properly concern their health due to bushy schedule on their work. The driving posture also causes problems for the digestive system and the incidence of smoking and drinking can also create health problems of auto drivers. Thus study aims to describe the occupational health problems of the auto rickshaw drivers in the study area.

Health is a very significant matter in the daily life of a vehicle driver. Long hours on road contribute to the occupational health hazards. The aim of this study is to identify the health problems among the auto rickshaw service providers in relation to their age and the number of hours put in driving the auto rickshaws. The study had been carried out in Nagerjala Motor Stand, Agartala City in Tripura among the auto rickshaw drivers through interview method and obtained data were analysed with the help of statistical tools. The result showed that musculo-skeletal problem was most common and of frequent occurrence among all age groups of the auto rickshaw service providers. Relevant preventative measures have been suggested for the better health condition of the drivers.

Auto drivers play an important role in towns and cities in India. They complement the public transportation facilities to a very great extent. Many people get into this profession with hope of earning a decent income for the benefit of themselves and their families. However, the lives of auto drivers are one of financial struggle with low earnings and savings. The current paper attempts to know the reasons for

21 choosing to drive auto rickshaw. It also delves into finding the relationship between education and different aspects of financial well-being.

Auto-rickshaws play an important role in urban transport in India. Despite this role, auto rickshaws and their drivers face considerable criticism from the public, the media and policy makers. There is a contentious public debate about the perceived faults of auto-rickshaws and their drivers, and the policies to address these issues in Indian cities. Our objective is to provide balance and nuance to this debate, and to enable the perspective of drivers to be more effectively considered, along with that of auto- rickshaw users and the wider travelling public, in policymaking.

To this end, we critically discuss the criticism and underlying perceptions; highlight the niche role of auto-rickshaws in urban transport; and present an investigation of the realities and economics of auto-rickshaw ownership and operation. The actual congestion, safety and air pollution impacts of auto-rickshaws are at strong variance with the criticisms and perceptions on the part of the public, media and policy makers. The realities of auto-rickshaw operation are extremely challenging, and unlikely to place the driver and his family above the poverty line, which may drive some of the actions, such as not going by the meter.

Finally, we critically assess policy recommendations to address the issues related to auto-rickshaws and their drivers, and offer our own suggestions in this regard, namely: open permit systems, improved access to formal sector credit, a timetable for regular fare revision and the phasing out of auto-rickshaws with two-stroke engines. Simon E. Harding Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability.

This research paper aims to undertake a comprehensive study of the battery operated e rickshaws in the state of Delhi. It studies the socio-economic impact and the technical characteristics to make a case for regularisation of e-rickshaws in the state. The paper also attempts to make policy recommendations to make these vehicles safer and more efficient. The number of battery operated e-rickshaws in Delhi has risen from 4,000 in 2010 to more than 1, 00,000 in 2014, and is now an integral part of the transport eco- system in the state. With a proper regulatory framework in place, this mode of transport can contribute to the revenue generation of the government, urban planning and help improve the transport structure of the state. The Socio-Economic impact of the functioning of the battery rickshaws has been studied by collecting primary data

22 from the shareholders within the battery rickshaw industry, in order to understand the role of the industry in urban employment and income generation, and the various problems that affect the system. It also tries to propose a structure which would be cohesive in nature, and support the public transport system. The technical parameters have been studied to suggest effective manufacturing policy recommendations for the state of Delhi. Safety is an important issue for the governing authorities, as a study found that 80% of the passengers felt unsafe while traveling by these rickshaws. The paper also analyses the Tripura Battery Operated Rickshaw Rules, 2014 to analyse which aspects of the rules can be incorporated to help in the formulation of the rules in the state of Delhi. The mode of transport has some clear merits and some demerits to it, and the paper has tried to deconstruct these aspects.

Conventionally Understanding the issues of development through the ‗tickle down approach‘ has got its limitations. For a more comprehensive analysis, there has been shift towards Human Development approach, which focuses on Human Development Index (HDI), wherein development is calculated not only in terms of the Gross National Income (proxy for standard of living), but also life expectancy at birth (proxy for health) and a combined index of mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling for education. However, this index also has its limitations, as it fails to capture other important aspects such as freedom from discrimination, fear of one‘s safety, of political participation, etc. In this regard the theoretical framework of Rawlesian framework, capability approach of Amartya Sen, Nussbaum and Charusheela are considered important. The study of status of the auto rickshaw drivers of Mumbai was undertaken to validate the underpinnings of these theoretical framework on development. Based on the findings, the study report has proposed certain prescriptions. (Anushruti, 2016)

The traffic police authorities say it is not possible to manage these errant autos. "As many as 300 cases of violations are registered with the police every day, but no matter what the penalty, it has no effect on the auto drivers. They keep violating the norms on a regular basis," said The Additional Commissioner traffic. Approximately 40 per cent of the total autos plying on the streets of Hi-Tec City do not have meters, leave alone digital meters that were made mandatory. "They charge an extra amount for the ride and refuse to use meters,'' said a passenger. Commuters here complain that the government has turned a blind eye to their safetyas many auto drivers do not even have a driving license. In fact, the seven-seater driver involved in accident did not have a license. "Autos registered in some rural areas on the peripheries of the city are driven within the city limits without proper papers. This menace is growing in the city. Commuters note that apart from overcrowding, the auto drivers fail to maintain speed limits which endanger their lives. The article describes that, the autos are playing an important role on the transportation but , most of the drivers do not obey traffic rules, violating norms, charge extra amount and even they do not have license and fail to maintain speed limit.

ShashankRao has written an article on ‗Overloaded share autos could become death traps ‗and he stated that, ―Transport experts have stated that, the overloaded share autos could become death traps for commuters. Though the Regional Transport Officials (RTO) issued a list of dos and don'ts for the auto drivers at the Road Safety Fortnight that was recently inaugurated by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, it has failed to focus on the safety measures for lakhs of commuters who travel by autos on a daily basis.

Despite the ongoing campaign to promote importance of following driving manners, it has been observed that auto drivers, especially those operating on a sharing basis, tend to overload their vehicles with passengers or luggage Wadala RTO, said, "Whenever we nab an offender, a fine is levied as per the offence." The article discusses the safety measures and problem of overload in autos and how the auto drivers break the traffic rules. And some of the government officials do not take any action against the violation of traffic rules.

Indrani Basu has written an article on ‗cops crack down on share autos‗. In that article she has stated that, ―The traffic police has cracked down on the nine-seater Gramin

Seva autos across the city for violations ranging from diverting from their assigned routes to plying without driving license to overcrowding, among others. As many as 323 drivers were issued challans while share autos were impounded. In west Delhi alone, 49 autos were impounded. The transport department has chalked out 61 routes on which these autos can play. In east Delhi, which has a large number of the Gramin Seva autos operating in Laxmi Nagar, Mother Dairy and IP Extension, only three autos were impounded.

Officials claimed that the drive was carried out as many share autos are seen on main arterial roads in violation of the directive keep these autos in check. Overcrowding, driving without license and plying without a permit can prove very dangerous. We have deployed our staff to check any violations."Senior traffic officials have stressed time and again that share autos are a menace on the road. These are also responsible for slowing down traffic on arterial roads. Drivers are usually fined Rs 500 and owners Rs 1,000 for not carrying a valid license. Plying without permit invites a fine of Rs 2,000 while overcrowding can cost Rs 100, said the traffic cops.

Overcrowding came up as the biggest problem with 132 auto drivers being booked for this offence. Forty-eight drivers were booked for plying without a drivinglicence. Auto drivers, however, claimed they were only being helpful as this was the only mode of transport for many locals. GraminSeva has seen many takers in the city but complaints of blocking main roads and holding up traffic by abruptly stopping in the middle of the road are common.

The transport department had charted out specific routes for the share autos, with permits issued strictly against these routes. The 61 routes cater to rural areas where the reach of DTC buses is limited.

L. Srikrishna of Madurai has written in The Hindu newspaper about the rash and reckless driving of share auto rickshaws. He has stated that, ―Almost all share auto rickshaws in

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 INTRODUCTION

Livelihood challenges is the term used to describe the practices at work place that acknowledge and aim to support the needs of the respondents in achieving a balance between the demands of their personal and work place. A good work life balance enables them to thrive and at the same time enables the employees to easily combine work with new aspiration and responsibilities.

Auto rickshaw drivers play very important role for our society. Millions of commuters mainly depend on the auto rickshaw drivers for safe journey and to reach their destination. The work of the auto rickshaw drivers is full of responsibility. They are responsible for safety and punctuality also. This job requires a high level of concentration and alertness, when auto comes to signals and immediate environment.

3.2 OBJECTIVES

General Objective

To study about the living conditions and challenges faced by the auto-rickshaw drivers in Tirur.

Auto drivers have a lifestyle that is not conducive to good health. In addition to their exposure to noise and air pollution, the job does not provide the same opportunities for social contact as many other jobs, and shift work , unsocial hours etc. can disrupt both home life and social activity. This lacuna is leading to many other problems in their lives.

Specific Objectives

1. To understand the challenges of auto drivers due to the increase of private vehicles.

2. To identify the effect of increase of fuel price on their income.

3. To understand the impact of online taxi services over auto rickshaw.

4. To study the effect of the increase in tax and insurance on the auto drivers.

5. To study the health issues of Auto drivers.

3.3 DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS

Living conditions - They are the everyday environment of people, where they live, play and work. These living conditions are a product of social and economic circumstances and the physical environment – all of which can impact upon health – and are largely outside of the immediate control of the individual. (Cambridge Dictionary)- Theoretical definition

Living conditions - In this research the researcher uses the term living conditions to refer the challenges and risks related to the economic instability due to increase in fuel price, private vehicles, tax and insurance and the entry of online taxi. - Operational definition

Challenges - something that needs great mental or physical effort in order to be done successfully and therefore tests a person‘s ability (Cambridge Dictionary).- Theoretical definition

Challenges - the physical, economic and social difficulties faced by the Auto rickshaw drivers in their life. - Operational definition

3.4 VARIABLES

The variables used in the study are:

 Increase in fuel price  Entry of online tax services like Uber, Ola cabs.  Increase of tax and insurance

3.5 RESEARCH DESIGN

The nature of the study is descriptive and diagnostic attempt to provide a clear picture of the problem faced by the respondents. Both explorative and explanatory designs are used in this study.

3.6 PILOT STUDY

A pilot study is normally small in comparison with the main experiment and therefore can provide only limited information on the sources and magnitude of variation of response measures. A pilot study has been conducted in order to get a better understanding on the problem selected by careful analysis of literature and consultation with experts. Pilot study on auto rickshaw drivers enabled to measure the following criteria:- 1. The feasibility of the study 2. Most effective method for data collection 3. The pathetic conditions of the respondents in the locality A pilot study was conducted in Tirur, Malappuram. Four respondents were interviewed to frame the final schedule

3.7 UNIVERSE

The universe of the study is fixed to the auto rickshaw drivers of the Tirur Municipality in Malappuram district.

3.8 UNIT

Each auto rickshaw driver in the Tirur municipality forms the unit of the study

3.9 SAMPLING DESIGN Simple Random Sampling was used by the researcher to select samples from Tirur Municipality in Malappuram district. Since it is difficult to find the problem of almost the all auto drivers, the researcher selected Tirur municipality for the study. The population was distributed across ten different auto stands. The researcher selected five respondents from each auto stands and thus covered total of 50 drivers.

3.10 SOURCES OF DATA

Primary Data

Primary data was collected through the field visit by the researcher itself through a self-structured questionnaire.

Secondary Data

Secondary data comprises of information from documents, books, articles, journals, reports of surveys and studies etc.

3.11 TOOLS AND DATA COLLECTION

Structured questionnaire was prepared on the basis of the pilot study conducted. Questionnaire include the socio economic background of the auto drivers, the challenges faced due to increase of private vehicles, effect of the increase of fuel price on their income, effect of increase in tax and insurance on the auto drivers and the major health issues of auto drivers apart from various sub question covers 28 major questions.

3.12 PRE- TEST After pre-test, the questionnaire was instrumented to 3 respondents in order to check the validity.

3.13 FIELD WORK After conducting pre- test, researcher entered into the actual field. The work was conducted in Tirur Municipality selected 50 auto drivers.

3.14 ANALYSIS OF DATA After editing the questionnaire, the data collected was analysed under each specific objective and on the basis of variables collected data was systematically classified, coded, tabulated, quantified and analyzed.

3.15 CHAPTERIZATION

The study is divided into five chapters

Chapter I- Deal with the introduction, it consist of introduction to the various concepts related to the study and it also gives a brief introduction of the problem to be addressed in the study.

Chapter II- Deals with the review of literature carried out, during the course of study. It analyses the previous studies conducted by various researchers including the global, Indian and regional studies.

Chapter III- concerned with the research methodology part of the study. It includes all the aspects of the research. It includes title of the study, research design, sampling design, methods of data collection and tools of data collection, data analysis, limitation of the study and chapterisation.

Chapter IV- Concerned with Data Analysis and Interpretation. The analysis was done using SPSS.

Chapter V- Highlights the findings and suggestions made by the researcher. The conclusion is also included in this.

The final part of the research is bibliography and appendix. Appendix includes the tool used for data collection in the study.

3.16 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

 Lack of interest from the part of few respondents in participating in the study  Inhibition of the respondents  Lack of time for the respondents to take part in the study.

CHAPTER IV

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

4.1 INTRODUCTION

Quantitative data analysis is the process in which we move from the raw data that have been collected as part of the research study and use it to provide explanations, understanding and interpretation of the phenomena, people and situation about which the researcher studied.

The researcher conducted this survey in Tirur municipality, Malappuram with the help of a structured questionnaire. The analysis of survey is examined in this chapter. It has been done with the specific objectives once proposed in the statement of the problem. The following were the specific objectives on which the analysis is built.

1. To understand the challenges of auto drivers due to the increase of private vehicles.

2. To identify the effect of increase of fuel price on their income.

3. To understand the impact of online taxi services over auto rickshaw.

4. To study the effect of the increase in tax and insurance on the auto drivers.

5. To study the health issues of Auto drivers.

The analysis was done according to the order of the specific objectives. The researcher had taken each objective and the questions pertaining to the correspondent variable and the statistical data was presented by using the graphs and pie charts. Each graphical representation was analysed in detail and examined in view of the specific objective.

The socio economic profile of the respondents on the basis of age, education, occupation, daily income, number of family members, marital status, health condition

32 and family background were studied. While analysing these factors the researcher try to understand the livelihood challenges faced by the victims.

4.2 OBJECTIVE – 1

FIGURE 1: EFFECT DUE TO THE INCREASE OF PRIVATE VEHICLE

FIGURE 2: INCREASE OF PRIVATE VEHICLES

Figure 2 depicts that 58 % of the people said that there is an adverse effect on their earnings due to the increase of the private vehicles. The people choose to travel in their own vehicles. Because of that they didn‘t more customers. 42 % of the people said that there is no adverse effect in their income due to the increase of private vehicle.

4.3 OBJECTIVE - 2

FIGURE 3: EFFECT OF INCREASED PETROL PRICE

The first and most common problem faced by the respondents in the hike is the price of petrol. With the increase in price of the petrol, the livelihood of these drivers is adversely affected. From the above graph we can ascertain that a large percentage, 55.10 % of auto drivers find increasing petrol prices to affect their lives. 28.57 percentage of auto drivers find that it does not affect their lives to that high of an extent. 16.3 percentages of people do not consider petrol price to be an affecting factor in their lives. While 2.04 % of people refused to answer the question.

FIGURE 4: EFFECT OF FUEL PRICE IN INCOME

Figure 4 depicts that 54% of the respondents said that the increase in the fuel price adversely affect the earnings of them. Because the frequent passengers refuse to give more money to them when the fuel price increases, and the drivers should have to consume fuel in the high price to run their livelihood 36% 0f the respondents said that there is no effect in their income in the increase of fuel price.

FIGURE 5: INCREASE IN PETROL PRICE AND ITS EFFECT IN AUTO CHARGE

Figure 5 shows that 60 % of the respondents said there is an increase in the fuel price led to the increase in the auto charge. And the 40% of the respondent said that there is no increase in the auto charge when the price of the fuel increases. 60 % of respondents‘ gave the opinion that there is an equal proportion and correlation between the fuel price and the auto charges. The passengers who are frequently travels in auto refuse to pay more money when the fuel price increases. So that 40% of the people said that there will not be an increase in the auto charge when there is an increase in fuel price.

4.4 OBJECTIVE - 3

FIGURE 6: EFFECT DUE TO THE INCREASE OF ONLINE TAXI

The arrival of online taxi is one of the major problems that the present day auto rickshaw drivers are facing. The online taxi companies provide many benefits and offers for the passengers which made large increase in this mode of transportation and it negatively affects the auto rickshaw drivers.

Figure 6 depicts that 68% of the people opined that there is an adverse effect in the income due to the increase of online taxi services. Customers ought to choose online taxi rather than auto. 30 % of the people said that they do not feel any change in the earnings due to the increase in online taxi,

4.5 OBJECTIVE - 4

FIGURE 7: EFFECT IN INCOME DUE TO THE HIKE IN THE VEHICLE TAX

Figure 7 shows that 56 % of the people said that there is an adverse effect in the hike in the vehicle tax and 34% of the people noticed some variations in the earnings .10% of the people said that there is not much effect in the income due to the hike of the vehicle tax.

FIGURE 8 : EFFECT OF VEHICLE TAX

Vehicle tax and insurance are very essential for auto drivers. The variations of these taxes affect the job of auto drivers. These variations affect their lifestyle, income, financial status etc. From the above graph we can understand that 56 % of auto drivers find increasing vehicle tax to affect their lives. 34 percentage of auto drivers find that it does not affect their lives to that high of an extent. 10 % of drivers do not consider vehicle tax to be an affecting factor in their lives.

4.6 OBJECTIVE – 5

FIGURE 9: HEALTH PROBLEMS

The auto rickshaw drivers spend most of their time driving in a stable position and this can make them fatigue and cause related health issues. The issues like leg and body pain, haemorrhoids, severe headache are the most common health issues with the auto drivers. The above graph helps us understand that 78 percentages of auto drivers suffer from health problems, while 22 percentages of auto drivers are not affected by any health problems.

FIGURE 10: TYPES OF HEALTH ISSUES

The above graph depicts that health issues faced by auto drivers in which 30% of respondent say that they are affected with back pain, 28% of respondent react that they have leg pain, 18% of respondents say that they are affected piles as a major problem and 15% of respondents say that they have blood pressure.

4.7 GENERAL DETAILS FIGURE 11: EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION

Figure 11 depicts the educational qualification of the respondents. The majority of 44 % passed SSLC and 12 % of the respondents have higher education. 24% of the people have secondary education. 20 % of the people have primary education only

FIGURE 12: STATUS OF OCCUPATION

In auto rickshaw driving, there is no fixed rate for drivers and it depends upon the number of passengers, change in petrol price etc. So many people consider auto rickshaw driving as a part time job. Figure 12 depicts the status of occupation, which means that whether the job is permanent or not. 58% of the respondents said that it is their permanent occupation and the primary means of their livelihood and 42 % of the auto drivers said that they are not permanent in their occupation.

FIGURE 13: EXPERIENCE IN OCCUPATION

Due to the fluctuating hike rates, poor living standards and less profit, the people does not find auto rickshaw driving as a stable job for them.

Figure 13 shows the years that they are doing the job.18% of the people having experience above 15 years. 20 % of the people doing this job of about 6-10 years and 62 % of the people in this field of about 15 years.

FIGURE 14: RENT GIVEN TO THE OWNERS

The issues of less income, profit and poor living standards can be caused as the vehicle is taken for rent and the drivers have to pay the rent from their income to the owners. Figure 14 shows that 12% of the people gives 150 rupees to the owners and 40% of the people have to give 250 rupees to the auto owners. 10 % of the people give 300 rupees to the owners as rent. 38 % of the respondent having their own auto rickshaws

FIGURE 15: SATISFACTION WITH INCOME

Figure 15 depicts that 50 % of the people are satisfied with their income and they can satisfy their needs with that income. 34% of the respondents are not satisfied with that minimal income. They say that they won‘t be able to satisfy their needs and ensure good health and standard of living of the family members. 16 % of the respondents are partially satisfied with that income. Sometimes they won‘t be able to deal with some expenses related to treatment and so on.

FIGURE 16: LEISURE TIME WITH FAMILY

From the above graph we can understand that 68% of auto drivers feel that they get to spend enough time with their families. 32% of auto drivers cannot find time to spend with their families.

FIGURE 17: WELFARE MEASURES FROM GOVERNMENT

Figure 17 shows that 50 % of the people respondent that the government had given welfare measures to the auto drivers for their wellbeing and 46% of the respondents said that there were no provision for the welfare measures and they don‘t get any welfare measures from the government. But majority said that there are welfare measures for them. Some of the respondents are not aware of those provisions.

FIGURE 18: STATUS OF TREATMENT

Figure 18 depicts that 38 % of the people had taken treatment for their health issues and 40 % of the respondents said that they didn‘t taken any treatment for their health issues. 8% of the people stated that they take treatment sometimes but not frequently.

CHAPTER -V

FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

5.1 FINDINGS

Objective 1- To understand the challenges of Auto drivers due to increase of Private vehicles

The study found that the increase of the private vehicles really affected the earnings of the auto drivers. Most of the regular customers have shifted to use their own private vehicles for the travel. It reduced the trips which was regular to them.

The numbers of private vehicles are increasing all over Kerala especially in Malappuram because of the increase in technology, trade, business etc. Most people are using their own private vehicles for different purposes than depending upon other public transports and this affects the income of auto drivers as the number of people accessing auto is decreasing. From the study, the researcher found that 74 % of auto drivers find increasing in the no. of private vehicles to affect their daily lives. While 26 % of auto drivers find that it does not affect their lives. 58 % of the people said that there is an adverse effect on their earnings due to the increase of the private vehicles. 42 % of the people said that there is no adverse effect in their income due to the increase of private vehicle.

Objective 2- To identify the effect of increase in fuel price on the income of Auto drivers.

The study concluded that normally the hike of the fuel price had affected the drivers. Some drivers responded that they were not affected by the increase of the fuel. They could manage the problem through the support of the regular customers.

The study shows that 55.10 % of auto drivers find increasing petrol prices to affect their lives. 28.57 percentage of auto drivers find that it does not affect their lives to that high of an extent. 16.3 percentages of people do not consider petrol price to be an affecting factor in their lives. While, 2.04 % of people refused to answer the question.

54% of the respondents said that the increase in the fuel price adversely affect the earnings of them. Because the frequent passengers refuse to give more money to them when the fuel price increases, and the drivers should have to consume fuel in the high price to run their livelihood 36% 0f the respondents said that there is no effect in their income in the increase of fuel price. 60 % of the respondents said there is an increase in the fuel price led to the increase in the auto charge. And the 40% of the respondent said that there is no increase in the auto charge when the price of the fuel increases.

Objective 3- To understand the impact of Online Taxi Services over Auto rickshaw

The growing popularity of app-based cab services like Uber and Ola has already eaten into the incomes of traditional auto and taxi drivers in Tirur. Taxi and auto unions typically demand fare hikes from the government at this time of the year, to help drivers‘ incomes keep up with inflation.

Auto unions are not pushing for a revised fare, for fear of losing even more commuters to cheaper aggregator cabs. This has left them in an unpleasant double bind: if they agitate for a hike in their fares, they could lose more passengers to aggregator cab services; if they don‘t get higher fares, their already-dwindling incomes are likely to shrink even further over the next year.

Unfortunately for taxi and auto drivers, the situation will remain bleak until the regulations governing app-based cabs are designed to create a more level playing field for both kinds of public transport services.

From the study, the researcher made to the conclusion that 68% of the people opined that there is an adverse effect in the income due to the increase of online taxi services. Customers ought to choose online taxi rather than auto. 30 % of the people said that they do not feel any change in the earnings due to the increase in online taxi.

Objective 4- To study the effect of increase in tax and insurance on the Auto drivers

The increase of the tax and insurance of the auto rickshaws really affected the drivers adversely. It made them difficult to pay the loans of the vehicles. And also they could not manage the family with this much insurance for the vehicle.

The study shows that 56 % of the people said that there is an adverse effect in the hike in the vehicle tax and 34% of the people noticed some variations in the earnings .10% of the people said that there is not much effect in the income due to the hike of the vehicle tax. 56 % of auto drivers find increasing vehicle tax to affect their lives. 34 percentage of auto drivers find that it does not affect their lives to that high of an extent. 10 % of drivers do not consider vehicle tax to be an affecting factor in their lives.

Objective 5- To study the health issues of the Auto rickshaw drivers

Health is one of the major indicators which reflecting the excellence of life and therefore it has been rightly said "Health is Wealth". Good health is an essential requirement for the enjoyment of every aspect of life. Share auto drivers are exposed to a number of health problems as a direct result of the posture adopted in driving. It was found from the study that the respondents are having poor health as they lack proper diet. A diet high in fats and carbohydrates and low in fresh fruit, salads and fibre will add to the level of poor health. Auto rickshaw drivers are not properly concern their health due to busy schedule on their work. The driving posture also causes problems for the digestive system and the incidence of smoking and drinking can also create health problems of auto drivers.

It was found that physical activity was less among the Auto drivers. Physical inactivity increases the risk of many physiological diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, and breast and colon cancer, as well as the risk of psychological illnesses such as depression, anxiety and stress. Occupation and health interact with one another.

The study revealed that the work environment and the nature of job contribute significantly in the causation of diseases. Professional driving is associated with long hours in a single body posture, under exposure to vibration, vehicle exhaust, and noise. Furthermore, the work is performed in an environment that demands constant vigilance. There are, however, many specific diseases like Piles/ Haemorrhoids, Back pain and leg pain which significantly increased risks of mortality and morbidity have been reported.

Many respondents have High blood pressure, also called hypertension. It is dangerous because it makes the heart work harder to pump blood out to the body and contributes to hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, to stroke, kidney disease, and to the development of heart failure.

The study revealed that constant driving has resulted in Back pain in many of the rickshaw drivers. The human back is composed of a complex structure of muscles, ligaments, tendons, disks and bones - the segments of our spine are cushioned with cartilage-like pads. Problems with any of these components can lead to back pain.

The study implies that 78 percentages of auto drivers suffer from health problems, while 22 percentages of auto drivers are not affected by any health problems.

Other findings The majority of 44 % passed SSLC and 12 % of the respondents have higher education. 24% of the people have secondary education. 20 % of the people have primary education only

58% of the respondents said that it is their permanent occupation and the primary means of their livelihood and 42 % of the auto drivers said that they are not permanent in their occupation.

18% of the people having experience above 15 years. 20 % of the people doing this job of about 6-10 years and 62 % of the people in this field of about 15 years.

12% of the people gives 150 rupees to the owners and 40% of the people have to give 250 rupees to the auto owners. 10 % of the people give 300 rupees to the owners as rent. 38 % of the respondent having their own auto rickshaws

50 % of the people are satisfied with their income and they can satisfy their needs with that income. 34% of the respondents are not satisfied with that minimal income. They say that they won‘t be able to satisfy their needs and ensure good health and standard of living of the family members. 16 % of the respondents are partially satisfied with that income. Sometimes they won‘t be able to deal with some expenses related to treatment and so on.

5.2 SUGGESTIONS

1. The fuel price has to be controlled and the policies to control the market have to be planned. 2. The tax and insurance of the taxi has to be controlled and the policies have to be executed. 3. Proper medical care and health insurance system has to introduce by the government. 4. Certain measures have to be taken to restrict the entry of the online taxi to the areas of auto drivers.

5.3 CONCLUSION

It is clear that auto-rickshaws have contributed to shifting trips made by private vehicle by acting as a feeder mode to public transit and serving occasional trips. They certainly provide benefits of fast and affordable service to residents. However, in some cases auto-rickshaws are replacing trips made by bus or walking. These trips need to be discouraged by reversing incentives to make public transit cheaper and more reliable and improving walking conditions. As it currently stands, auto-rickshaw does not represent a full sustainable livelihood. While drivers are able to support themselves and their families, the need for higher wages is evident in the rampant meter tampering and fare card falsification. In addition, drivers lack access to human and financial assets by being unable to provide for healthcare and education. Fare revisions and other regulations need to address this issue. While the auto-rickshaw industry in Kerala is very complex and rife with tension, it has clear opportunities for improvements and some changes are already being made. Further attention should focus on driver training, enhanced infrastructure and enforcement, permit and fare reform, investigation into fleet auto-rickshaw services and driver engagement.

Mostly auto rickshaw drivers affected worst on their health because of their workload and stress. So, majority of drivers used some bad habits to relieving their stress, its adversely affected auto driver‘s health. Health issues have become the biggest and most important issues in the informal sectors like auto. The driving posture also causes problems for the digestive system. The incidence of smoking and drinking can also create health problems and most surveys of the health of drivers that form the basis of this review have gone to considerable lengths to "control" for this aspect of lifestyle. So, it is suggested that the government tries to seek out information on how to improve health status, awareness and wellness of the auto drivers.

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APPENDIX

TOOL FOR DATA COLLECTION

Name of the Researcher – Sarath K.P

1. Marital status a. Single b. Married 2. Educational qualification a. Below matriculation b. matriculation c. plus two/Pre Degree d. Degree an above 3. Is Auto rickshaw driving your permanent occupation? a. Yes b. No 4. How long have you been a rickshaw driver? a. 0-5 years b. 6-10 years c. 11-15 years d. Above 15 years 5. Is the Auto rickshaw own or rented a. Own b. rented 6. If the Auto is rented, how much is your rent per day? a. Rs150 b. Rs250 c. Rs280 d. Rs300 7. How much is your daily income? a. Below 250 b. Rs250-500 c. Rs500-750 d. Above 750 8. How much is spent for fuel per day? a. Rs200 b. Rs300 c. Rs400 9. Is your income negatively affected by the fuel price hike? a. Highly affected b. moderately affected c. not at all 10. Is there a periodical change in the Auto charges according to the increase in fuel price? a. Yes b. No 11. Will there be issues from passengers, when there is changes in the Auto charges periodically? a. Yes b. No

12. Is there a considerable increase in the number of private vehicles?

a. Yes b. No 13. If yes, is that affecting your earning? a. Yes b. No 14. Are online taxi services available across the city? a. Yes b. No 15. If yes, is that affecting your earning? a. Yes b. No 16. Have you organized any protest against online taxi services? a. Yes b. No 17. Are you receiving any welfare services from the government? a. Yes b. No 18. Have you approached the government for any welfare project? a. Yes b. No 19. If yes, what is it? a. Loan b. Health Insurance c. Others 20. Have Vehicle Insurance and Tax rate increased recently? a. Yes b. No 21. If yes, is that affecting your income? a. Highly b. Moderately c. Not at all 22. Are you experiencing health issues in relation with this job? a. Yes b. No 23. If yes, what are they? a. Piles/ Haemorrhoids b. Back pain c. Leg pain d. BP e. Others 24. Are you able to take timely treatment for the health issues? a. Yes b. Sometimes c. Rarely 25. Is yes, what is the reason for that? a. Expense for treatment b. Lack of time c. Not considering the seriousness d. Others 26. Does the irregular timing of your trips make it difficult for you to care for your health? a. Highly b. Moderately c. Not at all

27. Are you able to look after your family needs by the income u receive from this job? a. Yes b. Moderately c. Not at all 28. Are you able to spent time with your family? a. Yes b. No