Socio-Economic Background of Auto-Rickshaw Drivers

Auto rickshaw are the convenient way of transportation within the cities and most of the people are trusted their day to day life activities of travelling from the place to their destination, The drivers are play a crucial role in travelling under the informal economy of service sector, The Auto Drivers are get into during this profession with a hope of earn an honest income for leading their life, Some Drivers are Partially involved in other works with their interested area, The drivers aren’t highly qualified in education although they’re leading an honest life within the society, The auto drivers are face a many issues in working environment like health issues, lack of infrastructure facility and Traffic regulation etc. they need a highly competition between them majorly city busses and two-wheelers are partially effects to their earnings, they supply a 24/7 services with their commitment, The study targeting the present socio-financial condition of Auto Drivers, Their earning and dealing condition.


Introduction
An auto could be an integral part of the transport system of each growing city in India. An auto could be a kind of vehicle for hire with a driver, which is employed by passengers. An auto conveys passengers between the location of their choice. This differs from other modes conveyance where the pickup and also the drop-off locations are determined by the passengers. The people opt for auto service as they find them more flexible in some ways, like timings, routes, destinations, etc. An auto are often hired anywhere and anytime without prior booking, and it's affordable by passengers, The Auto drivers are run the vehicles for the commercial purpose they will also use the private driver's license now a days and that they didn't require any badges or commercial license to run the auto rickshaw, now a days many online applications are introduced to book the auto's instantly with their current location & they will charge how long the auto is run the meter is show the number and it's collected by the driver, In Davangere city auto are gradually increasing, The auto drivers are actually not study the higher class, many of the drivers are come to the present profession for the shortage of education, this is often the platform to several drivers to earn a money to steer their life, Many of the auto are owned or rented and auto drivers are playing a really important role in our society, many of passengers like Employees, Students& people are depend upon the auto drivers for safe journey & to reach their destination, the auto driver isn't only provided service for urban areas, and that they are provided a services in rural areas also because In rural areas transportation isn't convenient to the cities and other places the auto drivers are provides the transportation facility to them, the auto drivers are faces a Shanlax International Journal of Management s h a n l a x # S I N C E 1 9 9 0 many problems of health issues like asthma, dust allergy, headache etc. infrastructure, traffic regulations etc. and therefore the auto drivers have an enormous healthy competition between themselves to attract and retain the customer and majorly public transport (city& government bus) are the main competitors and many of the people are travel in their own vehicle, this can negatively impact on the earnings of the auto drivers, although they need run the auto On an average 50-100 kilometers per day and earn around RS 500-800 and once we take a detailed check out their earnings and expenditure pattern their earnings is like their expenditure. It's very difficult to lead an honest lifestyle with such major earnings.

Literature Review
Anitha Ramachander (2015) conducted a study on the financial well-being of auto drivers in Bangalore stated that the lives of the auto drivers are one of the financial struggles with low earnings and savings in this paper shows the relationship between education and different aspect of financial well-being.
Emma  A case study on the Auto rickshaw sector in Mumbai. Autorickshaws provide door to door service and act as a feeder mode to public transit, with nine percent of train commuters using rickshaws to access the stations.
While autorickshaws serve an integral transport role to residents of Mumbai, there are still problems with the current system, from the perspective of passengers, drivers, and the government. Subendiran (2014) The informal economies of auto-rickshaws are just not a social, economic problem but also a serious ecological concern. They discussed the socio-economic condition of auto-rickshaw drivers, the prospects and problems encountered by the stakeholders, and the role of social organizations in transforming the lives, at large, in Palani to understand the life stature, expectations, problems and need for reforms.
Rajesh Ranjan (2015) examines the relationship between work-life balance & quality of life among auto-rickshaw drivers in (Mumbai) the author has assessed the components of work-life balance on time balance the study constitute not only valuable insights & attract the attention towards the deteriorating condition of the auto-rickshaw drivers & highlight their work-lives but also provide a tentative starting point towards the greater understanding of current scenario under which the auto-rickshaw drivers are performing their duty this study indicates those who spent more time on family than work (driving) experiences a higher quality of life than who spent more time on work (driving) than family.
Akshay P Shinde (2012) focuses on the inadequate road-based public transport services & a seeming-culture of tolerance have led to more traffic congestion. Pollution& stress-related travel problems.
Aparna Mani & Pallavi (2011) tries to examine the political economy that determines the functioning of the auto-rickshaw system in Mumbai. It looks at the various factors involved & interested parties in the system & the current issues faced due to the political economy. The paper also examines the validity of the reasons for imposing the regulations in the auto-rickshaw system & thus, for the creation of the political economy, the author suggests replacing the existing three-seater auto-rickshaws with larger ones which can promote shared traveling.

Need for the Study
Auto drivers are an unorganized mode of transport. It creates lots of issues in day to day life of auto drivers, they don't have the proper regulatory authority to represent their problems and struggles hard to enhance their lifestyle through this profession hence an attempt is carried out to address the real lifestyle problems of auto drivers in Davangere city.

Objectives of the Study
• To study the Socioeconomic background of auto drivers • To study the problems of auto drivers.

Statement of the Problem
The auto drivers are in the informal sector, they have not to job security in their profession, The auto drivers are work for longer hours, and the earnings is a bit equivalent to their expenditure, they have faced many traffic problems in the work that will affect directly on their health, and they feel stress while working it will cause to accidents. No life guaranty Shanlax International Journal of Management s h a n l a x # S I N C E 1 9 9 0 in this profession, auto drivers require a certain parking facility in the cities to park their vehicles.

Methodology
The present study is conducted by using both methods of data primary as well as secondary data.
• Primary data: The Primary data is collected from direct interaction and a structured questionnaire and answers to the questions from the respondents. Respondents are selected randomly. • Secondary data: Secondary data is collected from the various articles, which are already published, magazines, newspapers, journals, and internet sources, etc.

Scope of the Study
The present study is conducted in the city of Davangere. It will provide information about the earnings and expenditure pattern of auto drivers and their lifestyle in Davangere city. Many people depend on these services, and it also helps to understand the socio-economic background of autowala. The autowala's are facing many problems in this; the research study will help to suggest suitable recommendations to overcome those problems

Limitation of the Study
• The study is restricted to Davangere city only.
• The study sampling is taken only 20 respondents.
• The result of the study is purely based on the information given by the respondents. We look into the above table-1 shows that respondents are the major age group of 35-45 around (50%) of random sample among 20 people, Fallowed by 25-35 age group people around (40%), followed by45& above age group people are (10%) and this area we not seen the youngsters and these peoples are survived in this area because they are not studying the higher education as per the sample (60%) of the respondents are not study the SSLC and fallowed by (40%) of the respondents are completed the PUC, these respondents are survival in this area because they do not study higher education to work in the other fields, so they are choosing this sector. Source: Field survey

Data Analysis and Interpretation
The above table-2 is shown is that in Davangere city the auto drivers are majorly male candidates are run the Auto, and many of them are married as per survey up to (80%), followed by (20%) are not married Source: Field survey From the above table-3 states that the monthly earnings of the auto drivers and they earned a Rs 7000-9000 (40%) of their auto drivers are earned. Some of them earn up to 9000 & above (30%) of respondents fallowed by Rs. 5000-7000 (30%) of the respondents are earned these earning s are not fixed these are depended on daily earnings, and these auto drivers approximately run the auto up to 100-120 KM/day (55%) fallowed by 50-100KM are run (45%).

Shanlax
International Journal of Management s h a n l a x # S I N C E 1 9 9 0 The above table-4 reveals that the drivers are run their auto as per the samples up to (80%) and remaining (20%) of the respondents is run their auto on rented base. Many of the auto drivers are not run the auto in night shifts in very rare cases they will run, regards to the survey (65%) of the respondents never run the auto night shifts followed by (35%) of auto drivers are run night shift some times. The above table-5 shows that the operation of auto drivers and their income 85% of respondents are run their auto up to 8-12 hours per day. They earn 500-800rs on average, remaining 15% of respondents are run the auto on an average 5-8 hours per day, 45% of the drivers earning is below rs. 500, and 5% of respondents can earn rs. 800-1000 per day. From the above table-6, we know that 65% of the respondents are earning money by riding the auto-rickshaw remaining 35% of the respondents are doing the other work while they are in free time. Majorly 35 % of the respondents are chosen the autorickshaw driving as a profession for livelihood, and they are not studying the higher studies to do some other works. The remaining 30% of the respondents are chosen this sector for their employment.  Table -7 gives information about the problems faced by auto drivers in their working environment. 95% of the respondents are facing the traffic problem in cities, and the5 % of respondents are not considered it is a problem they accept it as a quite common, 70% of respondents are not facing the space problem to drive the vehicle, and 30% of respondents are faces this problem, 95% of respondents are facing the competition in their field to hire the customers,75% of respondents can feel tension/stress while driving the rickshaw in traffic and to hire the customer and reach them safely to their destination and remaining 25% of respondents are not feeling stress/ tension, 55% of respondents faces the infrastructure problem to stand their vehicles to hire the customer and 45% of the respondents they have facility to hire the customers, 70% of the respondents are not taken the health insurance policy they are not aware of these schemes and they take their work very lightly because they are faces a many problems while driving and 30% of the respondents are aware on the insurance policies.

Findings
• The earnings of the auto drivers are very low, and customers are bargaining the money to their services, the government is fixed meter to all auto-rickshaw it is helpful to their earnings. • The auto drivers have not life security, and their family depends upon them, so they all make life insurance policy and the vehicles also.

Shanlax
International Journal of Management s h a n l a x # S I N C E 1 9 9 0 • All the auto driver are not run their autorickshaw. Many of them are run the rented autorickshaw; if the financial institution provides loans on the subsidies or low rated interest, it will be helpful to buy the own vehicles. • The auto drivers are facing many health issues for the lack of infrastructure, Traffic regulations, and many things. The government is concentrated on built a road and provided a parking space in the city. • Some of the auto drivers are working in the night shifts and part-time workers for this sector, and they are doing other business in free times.

Conclusion
To conclude, the socio-economic background of auto drivers is neither good nor bad. They have a moderate level of satisfaction in their profession. And the auto drivers are part of the economic activity, and many of them are depending upon their services. Many companies were coming into this sector and generated employment opportunity to society. In the informal sector also, The auto drivers are not much educated although they can handle customer and provide services, the auto drivers have a sound knowledge about the routes, and places of the city, The earnings of the auto drivers are not bad but at the same level of expenses are incurred by them. Their savings for life is not possible.