'Graduate driver paid ITR of Rs 20 lakhs!': Passenger surprised over online booked cab driver's income

In a surprising encounter, a woman shared her experience on Reddit after meeting a cab driver in Thane who, in a casual conversation, revealed that he had filed an income tax return (ITR) of Rs 20 lakh last year.

This unusual development comes at a time when traditional cab drivers are facing significant challenges due to the rise of app-based taxi services like Ola and Uber, which have adversely affected their earnings.

The woman, who booked a cab through Indrive, engaged in a conversation with the driver, who disclosed that he and five of his friends, all graduates from corporate and civil engineering backgrounds, turned to driving cabs after struggling to find suitable employment. 

"Is ₹20 lakh too common nowadays?” the 19-year-old passenger wondered aloud in her Reddit post, expressing her astonishment at the driver's impressive income. The driver not only operates cabs but also owns five WagonRs, which he rents out to other drivers, running a small business of his own while operation in a larger setting.

The woman described the driver as friendly and mature, noting his religious observance during their conversation. "I was shocked at that moment," she wrote, affirming that she verified his claims and found them true. "He was not lying or exaggerating."

The post quickly garnered attention, highlighting the stark contrast between the driver's success and the struggles faced by many in the traditional taxi industry. Unions representing cab drivers have voiced concerns over the impact of app-based services, claiming that neither the central nor state governments have adequately addressed the issue.

One user on Reddit commented on the post, mocking the driver, "Try taking the same cab one more time. That time he will say that Sunny Leone was his ex-girlfriend."

Sharing their experience another user commented, "I once met a guy who had an iPhone pro model and I asked him how he was able to buy it, he told me that he owned a fleet of seven cabs and decided to pick me up from the airport as he had just dropped his wife off there and I was headed towards his home."

Calculating his actual amount of expenses, another user commented, "Cabbies have a lot of expenses to cover for their cars - Loan emi petrol / cng engine oil maintenance and in the long run tyres dents etc. If 20L is his business income then it’s probably not worth it for 5 cars and he’s surely in loss. Many Innova and expensive car fleet operators are making decent money but surely not enough to FOMO others."