BackgroundIn cities and towns of third world countries, particularly, where the streets are narrow, a mode of transportation for the social elite has been the cycle rickshaw . Since 1880, they have played a vital role in the intra-urban transportation system as they are the only means of providing point-to-point travel (Jabir Hasan Khan, 2010). Many studies have been done on the lives of rickshaw drivers discussing their health conditions, socio-economic conditions, their vulnerability and other aspects. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay The most disadvantaged section of people engaged in transportation business to earn their livelihood are cycle rickshaw pullers. They are unable to fulfill their basic needs of life despite doing the most strenuous work where they are busy waiting for passengers or pulling rickshaws to transport passengers or goods. The income from work is much lower, so much so that most of the time they are not able to feed themselves and perform such arduous task on an empty stomach, also most of the rickshaw drivers are not owners and have to make daily payments to the final owner (Jabir Hasan Khan, 2010). According to an estimate, around 8 million people are rickshaw pullers (RPs) and 95% of them do not own the vehicle due to the higher price they cannot afford. Most RPs belong to groups below the poverty line and doing this job seems better to them than suffering poverty. They generally migrate from villages, at least to ensure food security, but their expectations are rarely realized. Despite such rapid development in India, the country has lagged behind in planning an inclusive development plan for all sectors of society. The reasons behind choosing such a dangerous job are illiteracy, unemployment, lack of money and skills and discrimination in the distribution of resources. Other common reasons include being a victim of natural calamities, migration, caste discrimination that deprives them of respectable jobs, and victims of socially repressed sections (backward castes, religious conflicts etc.) (Ali, 2013). Cycle rickshaws are the cheapest mode of transportation which made it popular in the past, however, the country's development status requires a faster version of commuting and hence it is mostly ignored by passengers going to office, home or on another essential visit. The 21st century scenario has greatly discouraged this particular mode of transportation which leaves RPs with lean and highly fluctuating earnings models. Most Indian cities like Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore and Vishakhapatnam have abolished the use of manual rickshaws considering the physical exhaustion it brings with meager earnings. This part of the country is deprived of the basic amenities of life and are mostly excluded from policy documents. Therefore, it is important to study their living patterns, living standards, economic conditions, social status in order to prepare an inclusive policy for social development. Rickshaw Puller's of BiharBihar is counted in one of the poor states of India from where most of the people migrate to get jobs as labourers, (Shrivastava, 2017). The state's inclusive development has lagged behind and most villagers suffer from poverty, especially the section of backward castes who are deprived of decent jobs in their community or town. These people migrate to cities like Patna, Gaya to become rickshaw drivers so thatthey can at least secure a daily meal, which becomes difficult once they arrive in the city and witness the reality. This study tends to provide a microanalysis in terms of discovering and collecting many facts about the life of RPs. Rickshaw is the cheapest mode of transportation which has made it popular, however in the current situation they generally opt for a faster mode of transportation as most of the people going to office commute daily, and fewer people opt for the rickshaws these days when they go for casual visits, which makes the RP market fluctuate. Therefore, their daily income ranges from INR 200/- to INR 600/-, a small amount to bear. As mentioned above, 95% of RPs are non-owners and hence pay a daily fee to the owners for using the rickshaw which on average is INR 50/-. There is no uniform regulation or guideline for rickshaw owners, some owners pay maintenance charges and others do not, and since RPs belong to backward and disadvantaged castes, their voices are suppressed, ignored, and mostly avoided to raise their issues due to their vulnerability. At the end of the day, RPs manage to save around INR 250, which barely helps them in their livelihood and they mostly ride the rickshaw on an empty stomach. On average RPs travel 6-7 km from the starting point and most sleep on the pavement. The government's accommodation of Raen Baseras, where they take refuge, is poorly maintained and extremely unhygienic, to which they have now become accustomed and, along with their health, this also affects their social status. Their children suffer from chronic diseases due to their vulnerability which they are unable to treat sufficiently due to the high costs of medical facilities. The issue of fleet owners is deep-rooted and worse than it seems. This is an informal structure where various owners rent out their rickshaws to shooters and collect daily fees. The owners also pay the maintenance costs of the rickshaw, however some owners are negligent regarding the matter and refuse to pay the maintenance costs. These landlords collect daily rent regardless of how much the RPs earn; whether they earn money during the day or not, RPs necessarily have to pay rent every day. It is very difficult to eliminate any informal structure that involves muscle power, domination, indirect political support, etc. And fleet owners are trained according to similar models. This specific issue has a strong impact on the final income of RPs and also on their social status, since they are treated no more than a slave. A survey conducted in Patna revealed that most RPs do not own the vehicle. This economic condition of RPs despite having one of the most physically demanding jobs raises the concern of providing them with an alternative. Their social status is greatly influenced by the nature of their work and income. The roads of Patna are not very wide and thousands of rickshaws occupy the roads which becomes problematic for other vehicle owners or anyone on the road and due to their social vulnerability people have a tendency to misuse the RP, mostly are abused by other vehicle owners or pedestrians or even customers. Economic conditions of rickshaw pullers There is no authentic figure on the number of RP in Patna; however the rickshaw and auto-rickshaw union leader mentioned about RP 11,000 here in Patna. As discussed earlier, the daily income of RPs ranges from 200 INR to 600 INR, of which they pay the daily fee for using the rickshaw to the owners, from the remaining amount paid for the mealwhich is mostly unhygienic. At the end of the day they fail to save more than Rs100/- or sometimes not even that. The lower limit i.e. 200/- and the upper limit i.e. 600/- represent income insecurity. Through such jobs, they cannot feed their family members and education becomes a distant goal. They suffer from many chronic diseases but are unable to receive medical care or medicines. The annual maintenance cost of rickshaws is around INR. 25,000/- and their annual income is around 1,40,000. This amount, as discussed, is very variable and there is no fixed amount, so to earn their meal they cycle for a kilometer paying only INR 30/- sometimes and for the same distance a car would charge less even for less time. This has made people discourage the use of rickshaws which affects their economic security. A significant number of people are seasonal RPs, who are generally farmers and travel to urban areas for a few weeks or months to earn more through work. Family planning is generally not followed among RPs and hence the number of dependents is more. Economic status affects health, social status, future aspirations, life goals and social security. Age The age of RPs generally varies from 17 to 58 years; Most RPs are young, however there are a significant number of people in their fifties and for them rickshaw pulling is a mandatory task to earn a living. They hardly earn INR 100 by the end of the day because they feel tired after 2/3 trips pulling rickshaws. Age is a determining factor of any person's strength, energy, immunity and health. One study revealed that approximately 75% of RPs are between the ages of 25 and 45. Migration Migration is another factor that affects the economic status of people. In Bihar, people generally migrate from villages and other districts to Patna city in search of livelihood and end up working as laborers and other similar jobs due to illiteracy and lack of industrial skills. Migration to urban cities is becoming a big problem as people from low-income groups find it difficult to find shelter and therefore spend their nights on the pavements and live in pitiful conditions. These people then become homeless and can barely manage a daily meal. Therefore, the migration of unskilled people creates more chaos in cities and hinders their lives and the economy of urban cities. A study analyzed data from Uttar Pradesh from where most people migrate to other states according to the study. While there is a lack of uniform migration data from Bihar, similar patterns have been witnessed as in Uttar Pradesh (UP). The following table shows the migration data of UP from the report cited here (Ali, 2013) Social Status of RPs In many conferences and meetings with government representatives and other stakeholders, the leader of Patna Auto-rickshaw Union has spoken extensively about the Social status of rickshaw drivers which needs to be improved for the sake of an individual's dignity. People do not consider it a respectable job and suffer abuse from drivers, pedestrians or even customers. People behave rudely to them, they bargain a lot and therefore they get paid unevenly due to their vulnerability and status. Social status is greatly influenced by people's income and standard of living, and due to their low income, they are unable to maintain their standard of living and therefore are deprived of the respect that every individual deserves. Their contribution to society and economic developmentit is mostly snubbed. CasteCaste is an important determinant of the social status of any person in the Indian social set-up and most of the backward caste people are RP, however, a significant number of people also belong to the general category. Traditionally castes prescribed the nature of jobs that people had to do and usually backward castes were more involved in such challenging tasks. The current trend shows that even the higher castes are RP, which reveals the state of unemployment, illiteracy and unhealthy economic environment. A study stated that 33% of RPs belonged to Scheduled Castes, 51% to Backward Castes, 84% to General Castes and 10% to Scheduled Tribes. The data is an amalgamation of the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Unorganized Sector. As discussed, 95% of RPs are not rickshaw owners; there are many owners in different localities and areas who provide the three-wheeler under various clauses. Generally, RPs are charged INR 50/- per day by their owners, due to their small earnings. Some owners pay the maintenance cost of the rickshaw, some do not pay, due to which they witness a high level of fluctuation in their income or final savings. These inequalities in the income structure have an impact on the entire sector and on the lives of employees. Conclusion The study revealed that the working conditions of employees are unsatisfactory; they work long hours and suffer from many problems. Almost all RPs earn a very low income which they consume at the end of the day leaving them with no savings. The concept of family planning is not followed and hence the number of dependent family members is more. Nowadays, people travel through a faster version of the mode of transportation which includes auto rickshaw. The RPs also don't own the vehicle. This section of the society is not economically healthy and generally does not benefit from the government schemes initiated for the backward classes (Rajkonwar, 2017). Such a scenario requires a review of the existing system or at least some modification. Major cities like Pune, Bangalore, Vishakhapatnam and Mumbai have totally discouraged the use of rickshaws; similar patterns can be followed considering their socioeconomic status, vulnerability, income insecurity, fluctuating market and highly fluctuating earnings. So an economically feasible intervention is the need of the hour as it would create a market that has a higher cost-benefit ratio and is also environmentally sustainable rather than an intervention-implementation model. Evaluation There is no officially recorded data on the number of RP; however, the Auto-Rickshaw union leader gave an approximate figure of RP 11,000 in Patna city. The option of providing an alternative to RPs would require a detailed analysis of the current scenario and the future scenario that policy makers want to offer. The report mentions the poor condition of motor vehicles in the city and politicians are keen to provide them with the alternative of electric vehicles. The first argument is that the government is enthusiastically working to make electric vehicles commonplace. The Indian government is set to bring about 80 missing electric vehicles to market by 2020 and 5 million by 2030. Lithium battery prices are rapidly falling, which will make electric vehicles cheaper in the coming years. The table below shows the estimate for Electric Vehicles (EVs) (Uttar Pradesh Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Policy 2018). Please note: this is just an example. 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