Taking a ride request with risk in order to survive

Every few minutes there is a call in Jahirul's phone for the last few days. It's his mother from village home asking him not to go outside home amid the nationwide curfew imposed to contain the violence.

"So, I am getting panicked and did not come out of home for the last five days amid huge presence of army personnel, members of police on the streets in the capital city. I come out of home today (Tuesday) to take a ride request risking my life as there is no food in my house," Jahirul Islam, an Uber driver, said.

Jahirul, lone earning person of his family, said "Prior to students' protest, we used to earn Tk1800-2000 daily on an average. Since protest started in Dhaka, we have been leading a life amid struggle.

 "Today (Tuesday) I got only a trip of Tk220 during the five hours curfew relax time amid internet outage and poor presence of commuters. Now, how will I buy rice and other essentials?" Jahirul said.

"At present, is it thinkable to pass a day without internet? Previously, we received 70% of trips through ride sharing apps and rest of trips were contract basis when internet remained okay."

"In the prevailing situation, how will we earn a living?," he said.

Jahirul has been running his three-member family in Dhaka with ride sharing and also sending money to his parents living at village home.

Talked to multiple high officials of Uber, Pathao, it was learned that a total of 30-32,000 ride sharing services by SUVs, microbus and auto-rickshaws were counted daily across the capital city while 1.20 lakh ride sharing by motorbikes every day.

Uber, Pathao's motorbike drivers earn Tk200 per ride on an average while in the other vehicles, drivers earn Tk350 per ride on average.

Rabiul Islam Babu, come from Shariyatpur, earns a living by ride sharing in the capital city.

He said, "We have to roam city thoroughfares in search of passengers as ride sharing apps are inoperative due to internet blackout. Previously, we went to the designated spot to pick passengers upon receiving phone calls.

"To earn a living, I come out of home risking life. It becomes difficult to run a low-income family if we sit idle at home even a day," he said.

 "We usually earned Tk2000 per day on an average. However, I earned only Tk500 in the last two days due to poor presence of the commuters." 

Both of them urged the government to withdraw the curfew and restore the internet services.  

Zakir Hossain, a microbus driver on Uber ride sharing, echoed the same.

He said, "I rented the microbus from its owner with Tk30,000 monthly. I am sitting idle for a week and count a loss of Tk7,000.  With zero income, I has been struggling to run my five-member family for last few days."

The income activities of the low-income people are being disrupted and they have fallen into serious troubles due to violence.