The real, selfless heroes: Honest autorickshaw drivers to be rewarded by RTO

The Regional Transport Authority (RTO) is felicitating 22 honest auto-rickshaw drivers from the Mumbai area—in Juhu on Thursday evening.

One cannot deny that Mumbai’s autorickshaws and its drivers are the lifeblood of the city. Whether they agree to take you to your destination or not, they play a very important role in the daily struggle to get anywhere in this city. These drivers despite the lure of pocketing easy electronics and wallets left behind by hapless customers, have not been tempted to keep items that could make them crorepatis overnight.

“They are the real heroes who, despite the thankless job of being rickshaw driver, have shown a true, selfless spirit,” deputy RTO (Andheri) Bharat Kalaskar told Times of India.

“They will be honoured under our programme ‘Mee Badaltoy, Mumbai Badaltey’ (I am changing, and so is Mumbai). It will boost their morale and set an example for two lakh other drivers to follow,” he said in an interview in the Times of India .

The auto drivers will be presented with a cash award, a certificate, a trophy, a Rs 1 lakh medical insurance and free health check-up for a year by Rotary Club.

This is not the first time auto drivers have been awarded by the RTO, in the past they have been felicitated for stray acts of kindness and courteous behaviour.   According to this Mid-Day report , officials have in the past shortlisted around 25 drivers after posting information in newspapers and inside the RTO premises. The advertisements asked for names of drivers felt that they had been courteous in their dealings with passengers.