Struggling Trishaw Riders In Penang Forced To Sleep On Sidewalks As They Have No Income

Without foreign tourists or locals who are mostly residing at home due to the Movement Control Order (MCO), things are not looking good for trishaw peddlers in Penang who are facing the brunt of the Covid-19 economic fallout.

According to a report by Harian Metro, Urban Life Volunteers Executive Secretary Sarah Abdullah said, many of them, who are mostly senior citizens, had to turn sidewalks or the three-wheeled vehicles into homes as they could not afford to pay room rentals. Some of them even shower at the nearby public toilets and solely rely on handouts from generous people out there to provide them with meals.

Following that, Sarah said, as a non-governmental organiSation (NGO), they’ve taken the initiative to provide food provisions for trishaw pullers in three locations, namely near the Tun Abdul Razak Complex (Komtar), Jalan Penang, and Lebuh Armenian, according to Harian Metro.

Their party recorded a total of 120 active trishaw pullers who received food donations every day. “We are in need of volunteers or donors to help us sponsor meals and daily necessities such as soap, blankets, towels, face masks, or hand sanitisers,” said Sarah Abdullah in a report by Harian Metro.

Sarah also appealed to the state government to increase the current monthly financial assistance of RM100 to RM200 at least. They also urged the Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP) to provide suitable employment opportunities for these trishaw men as part-time workers, to collect garbage or work as cleaners.

Among the affected trishaw paddlers was 58-year-old Surinder Singh, who said he was used to sleeping in his trishaw as he did not have the money to rent a room or live in a boarding house.

“I only have a piece of cloth that I use as a blanket and clean myself with it in a nearby public toilet.”

“Currently, I don’t have a single cent in my pocket and only rely on the generosity of the people to get food,” he said in a report by Harian Metro.

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