Here is how this 50-YO Chennai’s Raji Akka Ferried About 10,000 Women & Elderly Safely Across The City Even During The Mid-Nights
Image: Raji Ashok/ Facebook
Nothing is beyond the capabilities of women. Raji Ashok has shown that there are no limits to what a woman could do. She is ruling a male-dominated field, defying prejudices.
P.V. Raji Ashok, a Chennai-based woman auto-rickshaw driver, is a godsend for ladies and the elderly. When delivering free rides to senior citizens, Raji, also known as Auto Akka (sister), never denies a woman passenger or an elderly.
Auto Akka, a 50-year-old, has been safely ferrying people over the past 23 years, working a 9-hour day that is regularly prolonged to assist those who want emergency transportation. She not only gives away free rides to youngsters and the elderly but also to women who will be unable to pay the fare.
She doesn’t charge for transport to the hospital in the case of an emergency. She will serve women in the early morning hours if they provide her with an hour’s notice.
She never refuses a woman a ride, especially late at night. Until now, she has ferried over 10,000 people in the middle of the night and ensured that they arrived safely at their destination.
Image: Raji Ashok/ Facebook
Every day, she takes at least 30 trips and makes around Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000 a month.
Raji, a Kerala native, moved to Coimbatore after marrying Ashok, an auto driver, to serve as an accountant. The pair moved to Chennai after the Coimbatore bombings in 1998, where she found it difficult to find work regardless of her education and experience.
After a series of failed interviews, she decided to start driving for a living, exactly like her husband.
Driving an auto rickshaw, according to Auto Akka, is a great career for women since it pays much more than working as a domestic helper.
Auto Akka also provides free auto-driving instruction to women who want to pursue a profession in this industry. Raji believes it is an excellent job for women and wants to promote others to pursue jobs as professional drivers.
Raji Akka believes that whichever career one chooses, one must be completely satisfied with it. She is a true inspiration. Let us acknowledge Auto Akka’s value to society in Chennai.
-Chaitra Srinivas
