51 eco-friendly e-auto rickshaws with Self Help Group's (SHG) women drivers on Monday hit the roads of Dantewada, one of the most Naxal-hit districts of Chhattisgarh.
The Raman Singh-led Government had last month distributed the eco-friendly e-autos to 51 women of SHGs. The auto is equipped with smartphones to ensure safety measures in the Naxal prone district.
The one click app is installed in the smartphone in case of emergency for women drivers. The e-auto drivers are also committed to helping pregnant women in case the ambulance doesn't reach on time. The women drivers selected for driving e-auto belong to extreme Below Poverty Line (BPL).
Training was started since last month for the selected women to learn driving e-autos.
"We've started earning slowly and haven't faced any problem in driving. This is encouraging, things will hopefully be good now," Sukmati, one of the drivers, told ANI.
These drivers are earning Rs. 200-300 on an average daily.