In Chennai, Tamil Nadu, since March 2014, many women have started driving auto rickshaws in the city. Kanchana Bhaskar is one of the few women who got this opportunity.
S he faced a lot of harassment while dealing with male auto rickshaw drivers. The men, sometimes, used to throw away her auto keys when she left them in the vehicle. Her tyres were also punctured. She has also been assaulted when she argued with them on this matter.
“The men drivers say, if more and more of you start driving the rickshaws, what will happen to our incomes?” said Kanchana Bhaskar in the video.
In this video, Kanchana has expressed the torment faced by her:
Despite all these issues, Kanchana has managed not to allow these problems to act as hindrances. Many female passengers prefer having her in the driver’s seat than a male.
Rickshaw companies have reported that every month more women are signing up to work as drivers. No amount of trouble stops these women of Chennai from stepping out of their homes and applying for a job of their preference.