Ramprasad (37), a migrant worker in Chennai, was desperate to go back to his family in West Bengal. With no transport due to the ongoing lockdown, he decided to cycle back home, and purchased a bicycle with all the money he had.
As many migrant workers like him have opted to cycle back to their hometowns, bicycle sales have picked up over the past four days in a few shops in Gummidipoondi and Kancheepuram district. However, sales dropped from Saturday as a few of the workers were stopped in Andhra Pradesh, and asked to go back
“I had ₹10,000 with me. I bought a cycle for ₹5000 and decided to cycle back to my hometown. If I do get COVID-19, I would like to be with my family. My son can use the cycle once I am back,” said Ramprasad.
S. Vivekanandan, of Anand Cycles, in Gummidipoondi said that each bicycle costs around ₹5,000. “Initially, many migrant workers did not go back to their hometowns, but after coming to know that their co-workers had cycled back to their villages in 13 days, they decided to do the same. Over the last four days there has been a surge in sales,” he said.
Migrant workers from Chennai also purchased bicycles. T. Radhakrishnan, who runs a Track and Trail showroom on Rajiv Gndhi Salai, said that a few workers had approached him for bicycles. “I initially told them that the government was arranging transport for them to return to their hometowns. But they insisted on buying bicycles. I sold them at a discounted price and also gave free accessories including puncture kits and air pumps,” he said
The owner of a cycle shop in Kancheepuram said his sales were lower compared to Gummidipoondi, but migrant labourers were purchasing bicycles in the district too. “Usually, the workers walk till Gummidipoondi as it is closer to Andhra Pradesh and purchase bicycles there. But here we provided them with a free pump and accessories along with the bicycle,” said S. Prashant of Selvam Cycles in Kancheepuram.
However, sales dropped from Saturday as a few workers were sent back from Andhra Pradesh. “The government can use buses to help them reach their villages. To date, we have stopped more than 100 persons at the border and housed them in shelters,” said a police officer at the border.
