Apart from the regular school rickshaw pullers, it is estimated that only five per cent have their own rickshaws. They do not want to own rickshaws because their roots lie in their villages and about 40 per cent go back during harvesting. It is also estimated that at present due to closure of textile mills and steel engineering factories about 20 per cent of the rickshaw pullers are retrenched workers. The main problem faced by rickshaw pullers is the absence of a stand for rickshaws. The traffic police beat them frequently.
Many rickshaw pullers are addicted to opium and country liquor.
They have no shelter. Many times passengers do not pay the fare settled mutually at the timing of hiring the rickshaw. Distance wise rates are also not fixed. They are unaware about their diseases and approach the local cheapest R.M.P. doctor only on serious illness. For accidents they do not get any claim from anywhere.