(This is an essay from our March 2015 print quarterly 'Labour and its discontents'. See more from the issue here.)
It's hard to believe, but the Indian auto rickshaw has its origins in a small three-wheeled Italian goods vehicle. The precursor to Bajaj Auto Limited (BAL) saw the potential of Piaggio's Ape, and began building it under licence in the 1970s for carrying passengers quickly and cheaply over short distances. BAL beefed up the engine, moved it to the rear, reducing noise and heat, added a rear bench, and so the Indian auto rickshaw was born. In 2010 alone, 500,000 auto rickshaws were sold in India. They make around 229 million trips a day, a figure expected to double in the next 15 years. Not only is the humble 'auto' a vital cog in the urban transport system of India, it is a major source of employment. Each auto requires two drivers (for the two daily shifts), and an array of mechanics and spare-parts dealers keep the vehicles running. There are around 80,000 autos on the road in Delhi, with roughly 125,000 drivers.
Although auto rickshaws are an established part of daily life in Delhi, they are not without controversy. Auto drivers are perceived by many in the middle class as an 'informal' nuisance, free to run amok in the city backed by powerful, well-connected unions. But Delhi's auto sector is in no way informal or unregulated; the regulatory burden on auto drivers is, contrary to popular opinion, heavy and puts drivers in a vulnerable position. Neither are there powerful auto unions in the city to protect them.