These Women Ola Auto drivers are changing our roads

In 2007, Tabassum Bano moved in to Allahabad from her village in eastern UP to end her life on the Ghats. Her husband had given her talaq due to dowry issues and had kicked her out of their house.

She along with her son tried finding a life in the big city but had failed miserably. Luckily, An NGO saved her from the life on the streets and put her to work in their office.

After a year, she worked up the courage and took a cycle rickshaw on rent.

“I drove the cycle rickshaw everywhere and saved every penny. I bought this Auto just a year before after raising a private loan. Today this auto is my bread and butter and I am earning well on the Ola platform. It supports my family which includes my aged mother, my brother’s wife, sister’s children and my son. Life is still tough but now we have hope.”

Shobha has been driving her auto in Mysore city for 10 years and for the last one year has attached her vehicle to the Ola platform.

After attaching her auto to Ola, Shobha’s income got double and she feels that the unique safety features it offers will encourage more women drivers. “When I started as an auto driver, it was difficult as a lady to survive in this industry. Being the sole bread winner, my earnings used to be very less because I had to decline late nights and long trips. Some men did feel threatened about their livelihood and accused me of taking away their trips,” says Sobha. With Ola, getting customers has been easy and she does not have to wait endlessly for the next trip.
Her customers include women especially from the software campus of Infosys and college girls. Many strike up a conversation and are keen to know more about her.

Tiruchirapally is a women auto friendly city and has over 15 lady auto drivers, a large majority on the Ola Platform. Nagomi drives Ola Auto in the city; and has found encouragement from male auto drivers, police and members of the public alike.
An only child, Nagomi’s parents were extremely supportive of her decision to drive an auto. She had completed her B-Pharm and worked in a micro-finance company near Tiruchirapally. After a year, she branched out to develop a plastic company with her friends. The company was doing great and today it can be managed remotely with trusted employees.

Nagomi’s entrepreneurial spirit then moved on to focus on the next lucrative business in sight – auto driver.
“I wanted to be my own boss and begin my own venture. With the expanding city, I feel that mobile connected Autos and Taxis will be the preferred modes of transport. Both my parents were supportive of my decision and my dad invested his savings to get me a new auto. With Ola’s safety features and direct connect with customer’s I am doing well and making more money.”

For Nagomi encouragement has come from everybody. Even policemen came up on their own volition to enquire about her safety. Customers especially women feel extremely happy seeing a lady on the wheel and many tip her and save her number for future needs. She is planning the next venture- getting a heavy vehicle licence by the end of the year.