Saeed Hasan takes a break after dropping a passenger. He is 70 years old. At an age when most people are at rest, he is on the streets of Rawalpindi, drive a bike to support his family. However, he can no longer drive for more than half a day. “My body can’t take it,” he says.
“I spoke with Saeed. He used to sell vegetables once. But failing to make a profit, he took up a bike,” says Nadeem Hussain. “Saeed lives in a two-room house. There are five members in his family. His wife, their only son, daughter-in-law and a grandson. His son’s income alone is not enough to run the family. So, driven by the need to survive, Saeed too has to hit the streets every day,” adds Nadeem.
“Explaining that it is impossible to run the family on the meager income, Saeed says, “We barely survive on lentils and rice. We got to eat a little meat this Eid only because a few people gave us some.”
“I earn not much rupees and there is house rent to pay. There are illnesses too. Calculating all this, we have to live very carefully. There is less work these days,” adds Saeed.“Shaukat Hussain repairs bikes that Saeed pulls. Now in his fifties, Shaukat was found resting on the pavement near the District Courts. Beside him lay various small tools for repairing bikes.”
“During the conversation, Shaukat shared that he has been repairing bikes. At one point, he has also worked decorating wedding venues and has driven bike himself.”“Shaukat has two sons, both of whom live separately with their own families. He lives with his wife in a single-room house in the Raja Bazaar area of the city. The monthly rent is five thousand rupees.
“Asked about his earnings from repairing bikes, Shaukat said, “I don’t make more than four to five hundred rupees a day. Not every day is the same. If there’s some work today, there may be none tomorrow.”
“As he was speaking, a bike pulled up in front of him. After working on the front wheel for a while, he received just rupees 10 for the repair. He later remarked, “Business is not very good. There is less work these days.”
“When asked how his household is running, Shaukat said, “We somehow get by. Sometimes it’s dal and ‘alu bhorta’ (lentils and mashed potatoes), other times it’s greens. Meat is very rare.”
“Hasnain works as a barber on the footpath opposite a restaurant. A small mirror, a comb, a pair of scissors, and a razor, these are Hasnain’s only assets.“Hasnain’s family consists of his wife, two sons and two daughters. What he earns is not enough to support a family. The price of everything is going up. He is struggling to keep up.”
