Deepak Sathish By

Express News Service

COIMBATORE: ‘Prasavathirku ilavasam’ is a common phrase written behind most auto-rickshaws, meaning the ride is free for pregnant women. But when rides have come to a standstill due the lockdown, one auto-rickshaw driver from Gudalur in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu has gone beyond his call of duty to help patients who come to government Gudalur hospital and cannot find a transport back home.

It all began when 51-year-old P Jayaprakash, who has been an auto- rickshaw driver for past 25 years, saw a patient struggling to return home due to unavailability of public transport or cab services due to the curfew.

He decided that until the curfew is lifted, he would help those in need. In the past week, he had dropped and ferried 15 patients from the hospital. “I have posted my contact number on all social media platforms along with a message asking people to inform others about the free ride I offer to those in need. I will offer rides to those who are in a 25-km radius in Gudalur,” Jayaprakash said.

“I have started receiving calls from people since the ‘108’ ambulance service is limited to only dropping patients at the hospital,” stated the quinquagenarian who had received the best driver award during the Road Safety Awareness Rally held in the district in 2018.Asked whether he was stopped by police, Jayaprakash said the policemen had not stopped him from helping people. However, he added that he had not obtained special permission to offer his services during the lockdown. The auto driver stated that none with the symptoms of COVID-19 has approached him yet. So far no cases have been reported in Gudalur.