Most call for driver on hire after they’re drunk: Firms

Most Mumbaikars who go out for drinks often don’t plan how they will get back home, until it’s too late. This is one of the major reasons for the rise in drunk-driving cases involving educated, high-profile motorists, say rent-a-driver companies.
Between 40% and 60% of all the calls for drivers on hire come in at the last minute, and only 50% to 80% of these calls are fulfilled, according to statistics provided by three leading companies—Party Hard Drivers, Work Hard Drivers and Hire Driver Mumbai.
Calls pour in between 11pm and 3am as people leave parties or pubs, says Rehan Shaikh, founder of Work Hard Driver. Many callers ask for a driver only when they spot a nakabandi. “They will call in a panic, demanding a driver in 2-10 minutes,” says Shaikh, adding that they refuse to wait for more than 15 minutes. “They won’t pay Rs 650 for a driver, but when they spot a nakabandi, they’re willing to shell out even Rs 1,000 as it’ll be cheaper than the fine.”
The city’s leading driver-hire firm is able to fulfill 80% of last-minute calls, which comprise 60% of their total customers, also because drivers don’t find it worth their while to work night shifts. “Drivers fall asleep by midnight if they don’t get a duty as there are no trains or buses. Also, many clients are not ready to pay the extra cab fare so that becomes a major reason for turning down orders,” says Saurabh Shah, co-founder of Party Hard Drivers.
This lack of night-time transportation is challenging to both the driver and the customer. “If you’re in Fort and your destination is Thane, we’ll send a driver based in Thane to minimize his cost of getting home,” explains Shah. So, there’s the possibility that people are less likely to call for a driver because he will take more than an hour to reach there.
A few companies, like Work Hard Drivers, are willing to negotiate a shorter wait time based on the customer’s urgency. “We don’t look at the drop location when sending a driver; we will send the closest available driver,” says Shaikh.
However, Work Hard Drivers often finds that it doesn’t have enough drivers to fulfill so many requests. Most drivers are reserved for day shifts when the demand is highest. At night, they earn only about Rs 300 after transportation costs and their employer’s cut.
It’s also hard to find drivers with references and proper documentation. “The biggest challenge is the quality of drivers considering the risks involved with night driving and drunk clients. At times, clients are so drunk that they don’t even remember their address. The driver then calls the office for theit address,” says Shah.
Sometimes when a high-end car needs to be driven, a driver with the required experience might not be available. Almost 40% of Party Hard Drivers employees are trained to drive high-end cars, but that need is ever increasing.
So, what do drunk motorists do when they don’t call for a driver or don’t get one? Many have developed ways to avoid getting caught, including letting a woman drive. “Cops are less likely to check women and it just seems like an easier way out,” says Reena Sani* (28).
Others are more strategic in their efforts. “I sometimes drive even after a night of drinking because I know a couple of routes where there are no nakabandis, so, there’s no worry of getting into trouble,” says Rakesh Patel* (35) from Bandra.
This is why Shaikh believes that the nakabandis are poorly placed. “There are so many popular roads and junctions at Mahalaxmi, Bandra and Lower Parel that go unchecked. This is also why most people are able to get away with driving drunk.”
(* Names changed)