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| Image credit: Steve Evans |
For the next two weeks, MIT’s D-Lab will be hosting Dr Pradip Sarmah, a veterinarian by profession, who has collaborated with the Indian Institute of Technology in Guwahati to design lighter, larger and more stable rickshaws in India.
Rickshaws are a common means of transportation in Indian cities such as New Delhi and Calcutta. Most rickshaw pullers pay rental fees that make it impossible for them to save enough to buy their own rickshaws. The vehicles are also not covered under insurance, leaving the pullers liable for any damages.
Sarmah has partnered with the Centre for Rural Development to approach insurance companies and banks to create the Rickshaw Bank, providing rickshaw pullers with social security and financing options.
While Sarmah’s model is not based on charity—the rickshaw pullers pay Rs. 25 (about 50 cents) a day as rent, which allow them to become the owner of the rickshaws over a period of 15-18 months—the Rickshaw Bank is a non-profit.
