BackgroundIn the cities and towns of third world countries, especially where the streets are narrow, one of the means of transport for the elite social was the bicycle rickshaw. Since the 1880s, they have played a central role in the intra-city transport system as they are the only point-to-point means of transportation (Jabir Hasan Khan, 2010). Many studies have been done on the lives of rickshaw pullers, discussing their health status, socio-economic conditions, vulnerability and other aspects. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayThe most disadvantaged section of people engaged in transport activities for livelihood are the cycle rickshaw pullers. They are unable to meet their basic needs despite doing the most laborious work of either waiting for passengers or pulling rickshaws to transport passengers or goods. The income from their work is much lower, and most of the time, they are not able to feed themselves and carry out such arduous tasks on an empty stomach. Additionally, most rickshaw pullers are not owners and must make daily payments to the ultimate owner. (Jabir Hasan Khan, 2010). According to an estimate, around 8 million people are rickshaw pullers (RP) and 95 percent of them do not own the vehicle due to its higher price than they can afford. Most RPs are below the poverty line and doing this work seems preferable to poverty. They usually migrate from the village, at least to ensure food security, but their expectations are rarely met. Despite such rapid development in India, the country has lagged behind in planning an inclusive development plan for all sections of society. The reasons for choosing such dangerous employment are illiteracy, unemployment, lack of money and skills, and discrimination in the distribution of resources. Other common reasons include being a victim of natural calamities, migration, caste discrimination which deprives them of respectable employment and victims of socially repressed sections (backward caste, religious conflict, etc.) (Ali , 2013). Cycle rickshaws are the cheapest mode. of transportation which made it popular in the past, however, the country's development status demands a faster version of switching and is therefore usually ignored by passengers traveling to office, home or for other essential visits. The 21st century scenario has heavily discouraged this particular mode of transportation, leaving RPs with meager and highly fluctuating income patterns. Most Indian cities like Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore and Vishakhapatnam have abolished the use of hand rickshaws due to the physical exhaustion it entails on a meager income. This part of the country is deprived of basic amenities and they are mostly excluded. from policy documents. Therefore, it is important to study their lifestyles, standard of living, economic conditions and social status in order to prepare an inclusive social development policy. The Rickshaw Pullers of BiharBihar is considered one of the poor states of India from where most people migrate to get employment as laborers (Shrivastava, 2017). The state's inclusive development is lagging behind and most villagers suffer from poverty, especially the backward castes who are depriveddecent jobs in their community or city. These people migrate to cities like Patna and Gaya to become rickshaw pullers so that they can at least secure a day's meal, which becomes difficult once they reach the cities and witness the reality. This study tends to provide a micro-analysis in terms of discovering and compiling many facts about the life of RPs. Rickshaw is the cheapest mode of transportation which has made it popular but in today's situation people usually opt for faster mode of transportation as most of the people commuting to office commute daily, and fewer and fewer people are opting for rickshaw these days when going for occasional visits, making the PR market fluctuating. Therefore, their daily income ranges between INR 200 and INR 600, which is a meager amount to maintain. As noted above, 95 percent of RPs are non-owners and therefore pay owners a daily fee for rickshaw use, which averages INR 50. There are no uniform regulations or guidelines for rickshaw owners, some owners pay maintenance charges and others do not, and since RPs are backward and disadvantaged caste, their voices are silenced and ignored, and most of the time they avoid raising their issues due to their vulnerability. In the end, the PRs are able to save around INR 250, which barely helps them sustain themselves and most of the time, they pedal rickshaws on an empty stomach. On average, RPs travel 6 to 7 km from their starting point and most sleep on the trail. The government's Raen Baseras facility, where they find shelter, is poorly maintained and extremely unsanitary, something they have become accustomed to by now and, along with health, this also impacts their social status. Their children suffer from chronic illnesses due to their vulnerability which they cannot sufficiently treat due to the high prices of medical facilities. The problem for fleet owners is much bigger than it seems. This is an informal setup where various owners rent out their rickshaws to pullers and collect the daily charges. The owners also pay the maintenance charges of the rickshaw, but some owners are unconcerned about the problem and refuse to pay the maintenance charges. These owners receive the daily rent regardless of the RP's salary; whether or not they earn the day, PRs must necessarily pay rent every day. It is very difficult to eliminate any informal setup that involves muscle power, domination, indirect political support, etc. and fleet owners are trained according to similar models. This specific problem has a huge impact on the RP's final income as well as their social status, as they are treated as nothing more than slaves. A survey conducted in Patna shows that a majority of RPs do not own the vehicle. Such an economic condition of RPs, despite performing one of the most physically exhausting jobs, raises concerns about providing them with an alternative. Their social status is strongly impacted due to the nature of their employment and their income. The streets of Patna are not very wide and thousands of rickshaws occupy the streets, which becomes problematic for other vehicle owners or anyone on the street. Due to their social vulnerability, people tend to abuse RP, they are mainly abused by other vehicle owners. or pedestrians or even customers.Economic conditionrickshaw pullersThere is no authentic figure on the number of RPs in Patna; however, the rickshaw and auto-rickshaw union leader mentioned around 11,000 RP here in Patna. As stated above, the daily income of RPs ranges between INR 200 and INR 600, out of which they pay the daily rickshaw usage charges to the owners, from the remaining amount they pay for their meal which is for the most unsanitary. In the end, they are not able to save more than 100 rupees, or sometimes even not. The lower limit i.e. 200/- and the upper limit i.e. 600/- represent income insecurity. Through such jobs, they cannot feed their family members and education becomes a distant goal. They suffer from many chronic illnesses but are unable to benefit from medical care or medication. The annual maintenance cost of rickshaws is approximately INR. 25,000/- and their annual income is around 1,40,000/-. This amount, as noted, is highly fluctuating and there is no fixed amount of fees. Therefore, to earn their meal, they cycle a kilometer for just INR 30 - sometimes and for the same distance, a car would charge less in less time as well. This has made people discourage the use of rickshaws, which impacts their economic security. A significant number of people are seasonal IPs, who are usually farmers and travel to urban areas for a few weeks or months to earn more from their work. Family planning is generally not followed among RAs, and the number of dependents is therefore higher. The economic situation has an impact on their health, their social status, their future aspirations, their life goals and their social security. Age The age of RPs varies from 17 to 58 years in general; Most of the RPs are young, but there are a significant number of people in their 50s and for them, pulling a rickshaw is an obligatory task to earn a living. They barely earn INR 100 at the end of the day as they feel tired after 2/3 trips in rickshaws. Age is a determinant of any person's strength, energy, immunity and health. One study found that about 75 percent of RPs are between 25 and 45 years old. MigrationMigration is another factor that impacts the economic situation of people. In Bihar, people generally migrate from villages and other districts to Patna city in search of livelihood and end up taking up laborer jobs or other such jobs due to illiteracy and lack of industrial skills. Migration to urban cities is becoming a major problem as people from low-income groups find it difficult to find shelter and therefore spend their nights on the trails and live in pitiful conditions. These people then find themselves homeless and are barely able to meet their daily needs. Thus, the migration of unskilled people creates more chaos in the city, which hampers their lives as well as the economy of urban cities. A study analyzed data from Uttar Pradesh, from where most people migrate to other states, the study said. Although there is a lack of uniform data on migration in Bihar, it has seen similar patterns to Uttar Pradesh (UP). The table below shows UP migration data from the report cited here - (Ali, 2013) Social status of PR In numerous conferences and meetings with government officials and other stakeholders, the leader of the Auto-rickshaw union of Patna spoke at length about social status. rickshaw pullers which needs to be improvedin the interest of the dignity of the individual. People do not consider this a respectable job and are mistreated either by motor vehicle drivers, pedestrians or even customers. People behave rudely to them, negotiate a lot and therefore get paid unequally due to their vulnerability and status. Social status is greatly influenced by people's income and standard of living and due to their low income, they are not able to maintain their standard of living and therefore are deprived of the respect that every individual deserves. Their contribution to society and economic development is mostly snubbed. CasteCaste is a major determinant of the social status of any person in the Indian social setup and most of the backward castes are RP, however, a significant number of people also belong to the general category. Traditionally, castes prescribed the nature of jobs that people had to perform and, generally, backward castes were more involved in these exhaustive tasks. The current trend shows that even higher castes are RP, which reveals a situation of unemployment, illiteracy and a precarious economic context. A study found that 33 percent of RPs belonged to Scheduled Castes, 51 percent to Backward Castes, 84 percent to General Castes and 10 percent to Scheduled Tribes. The data is an amalgamation of the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and the disorganized sector. As noted, 95 percent of RPs do not own rickshaws; there are many owners in different localities and areas who provide the three-wheeler based on various sets of clauses. Generally, RPs are charged INR 50 per day by their owners, out of their meager income. Some owners pay the rickshaw maintenance costs, others do not, allowing them to witness a high level of fluctuation in eventual income or savings. This inequality in income distribution has an impact on the sector as a whole and on the lives of PR people. Conclusion The study revealed that the working conditions of PRs are not satisfactory; they work long hours and suffer from many problems. Most RPs earn a very low income which they use for consumption at the end of the day, leaving them with no savings. The concept of family planning is not followed and hence the number of family members dependent on it is more. Nowadays, people travel via a faster version of the means of transportation which includes an auto rickshaw. The RPs do not own the vehicle either. This section of society is not economically strong and generally does not benefit from government programs launched for the backward classes (Rajkonwar, 2017). Such a scenario requires an overhaul of the existing system or at least some modifications. Big cities like Pune, Bangalore, Vishakhapatnam and Mumbai have completely discouraged the use of rickshaws; similar patterns can be followed considering their socio-economic condition, vulnerability, income insecurity, market fluctuation and highly fluctuating income. Therefore, an economically viable intervention is needed at this time as it would create a market with a higher cost/benefit ratio and is also ecologically sustainable rather than a law enforcement and intervention model. Assessment There is no officially recorded data on the number of RPs; however, the Auto-Rickshaw union leader gave a rough figure of Rs 11,000 in Patna city. The possibility of proposing an alternative.