STUDY OF IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON MUMBAI AUTOWALLAHS

Owing to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lockdown was instituted by the Government of Maharashtra on 23rd March 2020, followed by a nationwide lockdown instituted by the Government of India on 24th March 2020. The Lockdown, and the uncertainty of the future brought about by it, immensely affected every sector of the economy, including the transportation sector. Auto Rickshaw is one of the most utilized modes of private transport in the city of Mumbai. In this paper, impact of lockdown on the migration, income levels, repayment of loans, passenger’s reactions to the use of Auto Rickshaw, aid provided to Autowallahs etc. has been analyzed, with a sample size of 50, and recommendations have been provided. This paper also intends to throw light on the methods used by the Autowallahs to mitigate the financial crisis faced by them during the Lockdown.