BHUBANESWAR: Prabhat Pradhan believes in bucking trends. Where most people hesitate to offer a lift to the poor or the differently abled, the 42-year-old autorickshaw driver makes sure he gives them a ride. Not only that, he does it for free.For those who cannot afford to use public transport, Prabhat is a messiah. He has offered free rides to more than 7,000 people over the last 20 years. His mantra is simple and written on the rear of his auto: “Work is god. Physically handicapped, elderly persons and accident victims can avail free transport in my vehicle”.Prabhat, a resident of the Niali area of Cuttack district, comes to Bhubaneswar every morning for work. And every day, he takes out some time to reach out to those in need. “Every day, I ferry at least two to four needy passengers for free. But I do not give free service to all. Driving this auto is my only source of income. Since Bhubaneswar is close to my house, I come here daily for work,” says the father of two, adding that he earned around Rs 500 daily.When asked about when or why he started giving free rides to those in need, Prabhat’s memory takes him back 20 years and he speaks of an accident he witnessed in 1997.“I was returning home at night when I saw a man pleading for help after he met with an accident near Rasulgarh. A crowd had gathered around him but nobody came forward to help him. I was in a rush and could not help the person either. Later, I heard he had died,” Prabhat says.“That incident left a deep mark on me and it made me think. I do not mind wasting fuel for the cause. At times, I get financial support from some generous people in our locality,” he adds.Asked if his family objected to him going out of his way to help others, and sacrificing a part of his income to do so, Prabhat explains he had never let his philanthropy affect the welfare of his children Satyaranjan and Ayush Ranjan, who study in Class IX and Class III, respectively. He was echoed by his wife Sasmita, who added, “I have never objected to him wasting fuel to transport passengers for free. We believe God will bless us.”Residents of Niali speak highly of Prabhat, whose acts of charity have made him something of a celebrity in the neighbourhood. “We are proud of him. It is unusual to find people like him these days. He has never turned down requests of people in a crisis,” said Pabitra Sahoo , a neighbour.