Street Smart: Chennai's AutoQueens Steer A Powerful Cooperative From Behind The Wheels
Within Tamil Nadu's transportation sector, women auto drivers in Chennai build their first cooperative -- claiming their part of the streets, higher pay, safety and dignity, writes Kavitha Yarlagadda
A. Mohanasundari, 39, confidently navigates the congested streets close to Ayanavaram, in Chennai. The feeling of freedom, from being able to work on her own terms, adds a lightness to her being.
“The first day I took my vehicle to the auto stand, the men told me to leave, telling me that this wasn’t a woman’s job. Every morning now that I turn on the meter, I remember the rejection and it never fails to strengthen my resolve to work harder, “she says.
For over 15 years, Mohana has struggled to establish herself as an entrepreneur, first as a beautician and later as the owner of a fast-food stand. When the pandemic hit, she shifted gears and took up driving.
But a persistent gender bias in Chennai’s transportation system subjects women drivers to routine harassment. This was wreaking havoc for Mohana and for many other women auto drivers like her.
In April 2024, Mohanasundari and 45 women auto drivers, many of whom were single mothers, founded the Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS), translated as “association for the progress of heroic women,” to create a strong space for themselves, in Chennai. Mohana assumed the role of the president of VPMS.
Soon, other women gig workers in the transport and food industry started joining in. “Most of us are single parents with daughters. Driving allows us to safely pick and drop our school-going children on time without relying on public transport,” Mohana explained.
Why build a cooperative?
Vijay calls himself a community organiser. After completing a certificate course in Cooperative Development & Management from the St Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada, and between working with a US-based tech firm, first in the US and now from Chennai, he thrives on planning, strategizing and building enterprises. Together with two other enthusiasts, he founded the Alliance for Community Empowerment (ACE) in August 2023 to formalise this goal.
While in the US, Vijay financially supported the Association for Non-Traditional Employment For Women (ANEW), a Chennai-based organisation that trained women in driving commercial vehicles, among other things. When he relocated to Chennai almost three years ago, he visited their facility at the first opportunity, and realised that though the organisation helps get women drivers their licenses after the training, they cannot really help them set up their businesses.
“Soon after, I happened to board a woman-driven auto, and started talking to her. She told me about all the problems they were facing from the male drivers and in building their presence,” he said. Over time, he met more of them and heard similar stories. “I felt I could do something about this,” he says, and asked them to meet for a brainstorming session in January 2023. “Eight of them turned up at my home eager to take things forward,” Vijay says.
“Although they were talking about their daily struggles, they were also very focused on what they wanted and needed from a business setup,” he adds. From wealth generation to a support system, their eyes were on a holistic solution. “Women auto drivers don’t have access to government benefits like others. So we needed a business model that would allow us to receive financial support,” says Mohana, co-founder and president of VPMS, who ensures the collective meets this need.
A cooperative is a community of dreamers
The women already had a solid WhatsApp community, as they were trying to join forces and look after each other. “We have a mix of experienced and new drivers. Some have been driving for 25 years and others taught themselves,” says Vijaya Lakshmi, a VPMS member.
The women started meeting every month, sometimes twice, to learn, explore, and network. On May 1, 2023, around 25 of them decided to register VPMS as an association under the Society Act of 1933, with the help of Vijay and ACE. “I remember the date very well because it was the International Labour Day. Afterwards we all went out to have lunch,” Vijay remembered. Finally, on April 4, 2024, the formal registration happened.
“My role was only to provide relevant information on the various possibilities for the organisation. I wanted to help find a long-term, structural solution that would enable them to achieve their objectives,” Vijay added. “It’s they who decide.”
The women eventually realised that while the Society Act has very progressive bylaws that are empowering for the individual, it doesn’t allow them to take on business opportunities or contracts as a group.
“They got together again to find clarity on their visions for VPMS, detailing the outputs, leadership aspects, operations and functions within the organisations,” he adds. Gradually, they decided that registering as a cooperative is the best way forward, as that empowers them as a group and gives individuals freedom to work with other organisations.
Once that was decided, the women needed more clarity to execute their plans. Vijay and ACE organised a rigorous training over five Saturdays to help them understand the various aspects of running a cooperative. Next, they formed smaller groups and worked with experts to fine tune those aspects. “Some studied bylaws, some worked on the business plans and the rest learnt more of the leadership roles,” Vijay describes.
This entire exercise lasted until December 2024, seven months since forming the association and a total of one and a half years of exploration and building a dream. From confusion, chaos, and existential crisis, a group of women were emerging who were cautious yet hopeful, proud, and confident, ready to leap.
“Since they earned a steady monthly income, the 30 core members invested Rs 3000 each, which helped with the registration, starting their cooperative bank account, and gave them the entrepreneurial strength to bid to large organisations for long-term transport gigs,” Vijay explains.
What can a cooperative achieve?
From 45 in May 2023, VPMS is now 400 members strong. Members better understand their needs and possibilities of their cooperative; Almost 70 are core members paying the union fee each month.
VPMS members can access shared ride opportunities arranged through WhatsApp, group contracts, and fair pricing negotiations. The cooperative offers emergency funding, legal support, and collective lobbying for difficult situations, such as in cases of harassment, legal concerns, or car issues.
Members receive instructions in driving, financial literacy, and insurance enrollment from time to time. VPMS has a full-time lawyer to handle their legal matters. New drivers join the cooperative through VPMS’s outreach programs or via current members.
Since they present themselves as a single entity, VPMS can collaborate with various organisations, enroll in insurance programs, such as Kalaignar and Post Office Insurance, and operate a circular loan scheme that increases in value from ₹10,000 to ₹50,000 contingent upon timely repayment.
Additionally, members can now share needs collectively, be they asking for government assistance or negotiating with the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) and Chennai Unified Metro Transportation Authority (CUMTA) for dedicated auto stands for women drivers.
What’s there to learn for us?
In this whole scheme of things, the strength of unity among the women is key.
In May 2024, ACE organised a five-day storytelling camp for 60 auto drivers. Through various creative exercises, the women looked at their lives and struggles, wrote poetry and songs based on these experiences. They revised, rewrote, and performed those. If the women knew each other before, this exercise brought them closer, in a tighter bond.
Vijay believes this exercise was instrumental in the team winning first place in the COOP Pitch 2024 competition at IIM Kozhikode, organized by the International Cooperative Alliance-Asia Pacific (ICA - AP), in October, last year. Emerging as the winner from 70 entrants from around India, the cooperative took home Rs. 50,000 in prize money, national recognition, and year-long mentorship.
We still hear - women drive autos?
“Many passengers would be surprised and some would even ask us, do women even drive?” says Leela. Driving at night is no longer as safe as it was 20 years ago. “There are issues with street lights, some neighborhoods have very narrow roads,’ she adds. There aren’t proper restroom facilities; stigma, abuse and societal pressures still exist.
“Parking at auto stands is still a major challenge as male drivers insist that those spaces are exclusively theirs,” says Mohana. Parking their autos when accompanying their families to hospitals, malls, or restaurants due to a lack of designated spaces is another challenge.
The success of VPMS is equally a story of grit and right mentorship. Vijay and his partners at ACE are mastering ways to formalise and unite marginalised labour into cooperative societies, preparing them for entrepreneurial success. ACE continues to help VPMS recognize and address gaps, navigate access to loans, contracts, and formalities, utilize government schemes, and create a brand for themselves.
“Flexibility with time and the feeling of working for one’s ownself has given me independence. It also feels good to have the option of taking additional rides in case I need extra money on any given day,” says VPMS treasurer, Leela Rani.
VPMS is waiting for the government departments to send back their approved registration documents, which will seal the existence of the cooperative. When that happens, VPMS will be the first cooperative in the transportation sector in Tamil Nadu that is owned, managed and run by women.
Now the way forward includes a continued focus on wealth generation for the collective, and building a strong social recognition through using social media.
This is a work in progress, a forever journey.
What do you think of this story? What else could the women drivers have done? Can this be a solution for championing women drivers on Indian streets?
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