I met a Taxipreneur

An inspiring story of a young man called Ajay

The other day, I was traveling through Delhi, the city of my first posting after passing out from rigorous training in Indian Air Force.  I hired an Uber taxi from Vikaspuri to Vayu Bhavan.  There were lots of traffic on the road and the car moved at a snail’s pace.   I just started a conversation with the Driver, Ajay, a young man of 27 years of age from a village in Bihar.  When I asked him whether he owns the car he is driving, he smiled at me and said “Sir, this is my own car and I own two other cars, for which, I employ 2 drivers.   So I provide employment to 2 persons”.

I encouraged him to speak up his story.  He was more than happy to hear that from me.  He went on “Sir, I am a graduate in Arts subject and I was working in ICICI Bank in Loan Section. I was very good at it and I could always complete my target before time.  My superiors were very happy with me. I was getting a reasonable annual increment too.  The job was fine, but something was missing, I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I wanted to be my own boss.  After a lot of deliberations, I quit my Bank job and purchased a car with a taxi permit. My parents were very skeptical initially of my decision to run a taxi. They felt that running a taxi would lower my status in the eyes of society.  They dreamed of something big for me. I told them to wait and watch as I was confident enough in my venture. 

I tied up with Uber and started my own taxi business.  Uber fetch you low income but consistent.  Now I own three cars.  I didn’t have much capital, I relied on loan from Bank to finance my taxi business. Initially, I employed two drivers on a monthly salary to drive my two other cars, but it turned out to be a big loss.  The drivers did not pick up as many trips as I used to get.  They preferred to be at the locations where not much trips are usually available for Uber.  They didn’t want to work hard, the salary was assured irrespective of the income they bring.  Then I changed the terms of their engagement.  I stopped the salary and offered them half of the earning they bring after deducting the fuel and vehicle maintenance cost on a daily basis.  Income exponentially increased.  Now I get sufficient income from two cars to pay off my EMIs. My own earning from this car is my saving. The drivers too are happy”.  He paused and said, “I encourage them to replicate my idea and become their own boss”.  I interrupted him and asked him what happens if he loses his drivers then. He smiled again and said “Sir, I will get another person, there are lots of people looking for decent living” 

I asked him how his parents react now.  He said they are very happy now and believe in his capability.  I then asked him whether he is married.  He said, “Not yet Sir, I plan to marry after I pay off all my loans.  I plan to go back to my village after that”.  I curiously asked him then what would be the fate of his business in Delhi.  He calmly said “Sir, here, I do not have much saving, things are very costly, there is lots of scope of transportation in villages, these kinds of systems are not in place there.  I want to start a transport company there probably in line with what I do with Uber”   I was just visualizing a matured and experienced entrepreneur in him. 

Suddenly, another vehicle came to his lane, he applied the brake to avoid hitting that vehicle, but he maintained his cool.  Then he said “It happens in Delhi road Sir, I always maintain my cool. Picking up an argument with such violators are futile, it is a sheer waste of time.  Sometimes, it turns out to be dangerous.  Nowadays, the behavior of the people are highly unpredictable, for silly matters, they take out knife or gun and they do not hesitate to harm you or kill you” He sighed, “Sir, the time has changed, we lost the face of humanity” he became philosophical “.  He continued, “But, we have to be tolerant and careful to safeguard ourselves”.

He looked at me and said, “Sir, people sometimes behave irrationally.    Many a time, my passengers get into conversations both on general and political events.  The worst conversation is political, most of them want that I should be in their side of political affiliations, which, I politely avoid and urge my point of view. If a particular political party or leader has done a good job, I have no hesitation to say that he has done a good job.  Unfortunately, most of the so-called party workers, do not accept that and they go on to any extent to justify the doings of their own party leaders”.   He succinctly came out with his political wisdom. I was really impressed with his view.

He just turned towards Rao Tula Ram Road, heading to Vayu Bhavan via Moti Bagh.   Then he continued, “Sir, I studied here in Government High School, Moti Bagh.  I come from a very poor family, my father used to be a Security Guard with G4 Security in Delhi. He retired as a Security Supervisor and now lives in our village in Bihar fully engrossed in agriculture “.   He was in no mood to stop his story there, he went on “I am the youngest child of my parents.   I have two elder sisters and both are married and well settled now. Their husbands are Central Government employees and hold good positions.  I was not good at studies.   I studied in a Private School until the 8th standard.   It was costly, my father used to shell out almost 1000 rupees per month as fees.  It was too much for a poor man to manage with his meager income.  

I suggested him to shift me to a Government School to save the fees. I met lots of spoiled guys who were regularly on drugs. Boozing was a regular affair over there.  Somehow, I didn’t like both and thus I did not fall prey to such a vicious circle.    I had completed my 12th there and joined the College for my BA. Then I started my career in Bank.  Sir, our education system is bad, a normal graduate doesn’t attain any skill, merely having a degree does not fetch you a job.  Most of my peers are not willing to do any lower strata job. They expect the Government to provide them a job of their graduation status.   That doesn’t happen. They will slowly join the cluster of millions of unemployed youths”.  I nodded as if I approve his statement.  He spoke absolutely as a matured person.   He then continued, “Sir, I had started doing menial jobs when I was 16 years, I had done even cleaning jobs. No job is lower Sir, unfortunately, our society has lots of inhibitions on this. It has to change”.  Again I nodded and agreed to his perception and said Ajay, your generation can do it, and you are the torchbearer of such change.   He liked my comment and smiled enjoyably.

The traffic has slowly started easing. He turned towards Sena Bhavan.  I just looked outside, by the time he stopped his car near to the Udyog Bhavan Metro Station (which was the destination I had booked).  I prepared myself to alight from the car and paid him money.  He was searching for 5 rupees change.  I told him not to worry and to keep the balance.  He politely refused and handed me a coin of 5 rupees and said “Sir I do not take even 1 rupee extra”. I smiled, I shook hand with him, wished him all the best and I said “Thanks Ajay, today I met an inspiring young man, your story will inspire many young people”. He said bye and drove off.