Mangaluru, Dec 7: In a bid to avoid hassle of keeping change, a few auto-rickshaw drivers in this coastal city have embraced the change by installing mobile wallet Paytm in their three-wheelers.
Kudla Souharda Sahakari, a cooperative of autorickshaw drivers, has pioneered this initiative with seven vehicles in the beginning. There are plans to bring at least 200 vehicles into the Paytm fold shortly, according to Sahakari president M. Prakash.
The shift towards Paytm was not a planned one, said the Sahakari's general secretary Ashok Konchady at a public dialogue on installation of GPS and advertisement flexes on autorickshaws here.
“A few concerned citizens asked us why drivers cannot move towards cashless payments to benefit the larger population,” Mr. Konchady said. The Sahakari immediately got in touch withI Search' at Kudroli which readily provided e-wallets to interested drivers. Any interested driver may approach I Search and get the wallet installed, he said.
Mr. Konchady said the application would go a long way as it would benefit both driver and passenger.
Ashok N. Nayak, one among the first set of seven drivers who got Paytm installed, said that the app would primarily eliminate the problem of small change. The earnings go directly into one's account thereby reducing cash handling risks, he said.
The Sahakari is taking steps towards introducing GPS trackers in autorickshaws of members and connecting them through a call-centre, for which the Transport Department is yet to accord permission. Similar is the case with installation of advertisement flexes on vehicles, he said, and added the Sahakari is confident of sorting out the issue. The flexes would bring at least Rs.1,500 a month income to drivers.
Regretting that a few were against the installation of GPS, Mr. Konchady made it clear that every law-abiding driver would welcome the move. Only those who have fraudulent or criminal intentions would oppose it, he said.
Mr. Konchady said the Sahakari's initiatives have received support from all sections of society, including political parties, NGOs, student associations and many more. Earlier, Mangaluru Senior Citizens Association General Secretary K. Ramesh Rao flagged off the Paytm auto-rickshaws.
Comments
So in future everywhere only numbers will be in circulation. Actual money no one will have. One fine day if something wrong happens with the technology everyone will be on the streets. May Allah protect all.
These poor drivers are ignorant....they are making those corporate richer and richer....
@Paytm how much u were paid @coastaldigest for this ad? I mean it would be generous if u could show true paytm horror stories
Usually the money was going thru poor and now as i heard it will go thru the rich corporate and they can control even the auto rickshaw to suck their blood too of their hard earned money
Dear Shaad mangalore, just for your reference Paytm is indian e-commerce website headquartered in Noida, uttar pradesh, it was launched in 2010, if you want more clarification search in google paytm and read, Dont misguide people,
Andh bhakts call for boycott Chinese goods and Modi force common people to use Paytm which is major share from Chinese co.
Why this double standard or Kolavery?
This was narendra modis agenda to promote paytm and he succeded in it, i dont know what type of relation between modi and paytm is
Add new comment