An interesting article titled as “Execs ditch jobs to drive Uber, Ola cabs”, on TOI, (dated 23rd Sep' 15) caught my attention this morning while taking tea sips. It showed data about how various “well-educated” people working in big MNCs have quit their jobs, and joined as taxi-drivers, possibly for two major reasons, subcategorized further per my understanding.

First- to get rid of: (strict and unpleasant) work timings, (annoying) colleagues and bosses, (boring) workplaces loaded with files and computers, tight (and nonsensical) deadlines, (a never ending) chain of client queries etc; Second- to compete with the salary packages that they deserve, or at least desire.

 Nonetheless, the article posed some serious questions on my mind. First- why do we think that driving a taxi is a layman’s job or a low-profile one?Why we still want to ride in a taxi which is being chauffeured by a somewhat poor, illiterate, or an ignorant man? This by extension means that we still want to travel in a country where we think that education is only a rich man’s asset.  And scores of professions that build our nation’s very foundations are not meant for well-educated people.

 Second – why Ola, Uber or other taxi giants are able to offer salaries that are par above than IT or other companies? Is the data correct, or does it only show one side of the picture? What is the gap in the market that these companies are filling, or rather creating? However, this is true that in the scheme of pathetic condition of public transport in metro cities, and highly expensive and environment-unfriendly condition of private one, the employers are making and the common-man is suffering! And that leads me to the next question –

 Third- is there any restriction on the number of private or commercial vehicles be rolled on the road? How are we ensuring the quality of air as a result of the overflowing taxi aggregators in the market? Shouldn’t govt. force these taxi giants to start carpooling apps and support them to implement the same? Uber has already declared to start such a service in Bangalore in the coming weeks. While we are enjoying the solo taxi rides, we are forgetting the fact that each single ride is contributing into polluting the air which we share with one and all. 

 Forth- is there any restriction on the MNCs upon the salary they ‘must’ pay to their employees as per their talents or the output produced? Why most of the working population in our country is underpaid? The big MNCs open their offices in India (and some other developing countries) because of the availability of cheap resources: both human and natural.  However it’s very unfortunate that owing to the mismatch between the shrinking-job-openings and the sprawling-job-applications the common man joins “any job available” in the market at “any salary being offered”  irrespective of his/her talent, let alone the ‘passion’!

On prime-minister’s impending visit to US next week, a discussion on global warming is much awaited; I believe a step in this matter would only prove an old adage true – “Charity begins at home!”

Hope you enjoyed reading the article, and it gave you some push to thinking various other questions on these lines. Comments are welcome!

Cheers,

Swati