Getting behind the wheels for better living

Government school teacher Arun Kumar, 34, made up his mind to seek an alternative profession as he felt he could make better use of his leisure.

He decided to buy and drive a car that would have a yellow number plate. The decision, however, did not go down well with family and friends.

Kumar currently earns Rs 50,000 a month with flexible working hours and a better job satisfaction. This lucrative ‘alternative profession’ is attracting several white-collar workers in Delhi-NCR to the app-based cab industry.

“My parents, neighbours and friends were shocked when I decided to buy a car in February and work as a cabbie. People discouraged me. But for me, it meant some extra money. Today, I am earning more through driving than by teaching in a government school in Delhi. Now some of my friends are also interested in taking up this profession as they see me leading a respectable life,” Arun said.

Another young driver Kapil Verma (30), who usually drives in Gurgaon, said he understands what Arun feels about driving.

Narrating his experience, Verma said he used to work as an accounts manager with Hindustan Unilever Ltd. But his dream was to run his own business. He started driving a cab with the idea of eventually owning a fleet of cars.

“I have the freedom to log in and out of the mobile app whenever I want to. I do not have a quirky boss. I am the boss here,” he said.

He said he is able to spend more time with his family these days.

“Life is perfect at the moment as I have both money and time. I earn about Rs 1,500-2,000 every day,” he said.

Arun and Kapil are only two among the hundreds who have switched profession to work, either full-time or part-time, with these app-based cab services. With cab firms swamping the market, they are not short of opportunities either.

Those working for these new firms say they are able to afford a higher standard of living and provide better education to their children.

Thirty-five-year old Anuraj Yadav, who hails from Rajasthan and holds a bachelors degree in French, is now a full-time cab driver.

“Knowing more languages always adds value to your work. I can communicate effortlessly with foreign tourists. This (app-based cabs) business is booming,” he said.

Yadav said he earns about Rs 50,000 a month and owns cars.

“I can decide when I want to work or when I want to go on a holiday. I am happy that I have this freedom in my work. In the profession, I am growing as a person and I am also making friends. I even went to France last year,” he said.

Lalit Kumar, 30, leads a dual life — that of a cab driver and of an export executive in a multinational corporation.

“I log in to the taxi service app and ferry people across the city whenever I am free,” he said.

“I do not feel bad about being a cabbie. Perception of people changes as soon as they realise that you are earning more than them,” he added.

Palam Vihar resident Amarjeet Singh, 46, is a diploma holder in bio-medical engineering. Before switching to cab driving, he used to work for various hospitals in Gurgaon.

“My job was to provide repair and maintenance services for lifesaving devices. But it was a stressful profession. I started driving a cab this January,” he said.

Singh earns Rs 1 lakh per month. “Though my family was not happy when I started driving a cab with an app-based cab provider, things have changed now. Perception about anything can change if we get good results,” he said.

Talking about the perception about cab drivers, Bhaskar Yadav, 30, a resident of Sector 5, Gurgaon, said, “With so many educated people getting involved in this business, it is no longer a low-profile occupation.”

Yadav, who holds a master of commerce degree and used to work for Bank of America, said he was satisfied with his work of cab driver and planned to purchase more cars soon.

“I feel content with my job. I even encourage my friends to join this occupation as I feel money matters a lot in today’s world,” he said.