The bicycle and local trains are the staple modes of transportation for the dabbawalas of Mumbai. However this pandemic has deprived them of both these options. On World Bicycle day, the dabbawalas are requesting the government to help them to come to their aid. There are 200-odd dabbawalas left, who are currently delivering food out of the total 4,500 plus who were there prior to Covid-19.
At present, the dabbawalas are in dire condition and majority of them are jobless and have returned to their villages. And according to members from the dabbawala association, many of their bicycles are lying outside railway stations in this lockdown. The few of them who are still working, are delivering dabbas to people working on essential duties, those who have opened shops and other offices.
“These bicycles have rusted over these many months of being parked at various locations like outside railway stations. We want aid from NGOs and organisations and provide us with bicycles. We have also demanded from the state government to allow us to travel in local trains as essential workers as there are many doctors who are our clients and need tiffin boxes,” said Subhash Talekar, president, Mumbai Dabbawala Association.
According to the association more than 80 percent of their bicycles are in poor condition and so they have sought replacement. The 200-odd dabbawalas who are working, are delivering only in and around south and central Mumbai between Sion/Dadar/Mahim to south Mumbai where people work. Just before Covid started, the association received around 350-400 bicycles from some NGOs.
There are dabbawalas who are also working as delivery boys at hotels and restaurants, courier companies, hamals, while a majority of them returned to their hometowns and villages. The 4,500-odd dabbawalas were working on Kalyan/Thane-CSMT, Virar/Vasai-Churchgate and from Navi Mumbai as well.
