The police have put paid to an enterprise that won accolades across the country. A few days ago, one Rahul Rupani, who had gone to the US consulate in the BKC, for a visa interview, faced a problem. The security personnel at the consulate did not let him take his bag along. At the time, an auto driver, around 35 years old, offered to keep his belongings in a safe place for a fee of Rs1,000. The police have not disclosed his identity.
“While I stood clueless on the footpath, an auto driver waved at me, saying, ‘Sir, bag de do. Safe rakhunga, mera roz ka kaam hai. Rs1,000 charge hai (Sir, give me your bag. I’ll keep it safe. I do this daily. Just Rs1,000),” Rupani posted. He was very impressed by the enterprising spirit of the man and posted his experience on social media. He claimed that the driver earned Rs6 to Rs8 lakh per month. This was denied by the driver the next day, who said he made only Rs25,000 a month
Soon after the social media was agog, the BKC police summoned the driver and made inquiries. It transpired that there were 12 others like him who offered to keep visa-seekers' belongings in lockers in a shop. All of them lived in the nearby Bharat Nagar slum.
The police said the drivers had no licence to hire out lockers. Hence, they were worried that if there were thefts then it would be a big problem. The cops did not register any case, but agreed that the drivers' were only having side income by offering a much-needed service to visa seekers. A senior police officer told the FPJ, “The auto driver has a licence to transport passengers, not to run a locker service. Therefore, we inquired into the matter and he has now stopped providing lockers.”
Thousands of visa applicants visit the US Consulate at the BKC, many of them unaware that carrying bags into the premises is strictly prohibited. With no official locker or storage facility nearby, applicants are often left anxious about where to leave their belongings. This gap in service created the perfect opportunity for the auto driver to offer an alternative solution.
Instead of ferrying passengers, he began offering to safeguard applicants' bags for a fee. What started as a simple service soon turned into a small business, earning him a decent income. Applicants would hand over their bags before entering the consulate, retrieve them afterwards, and pay for the safety and convenience.
