You drink and they will drive

One man’s poison is another man’s business opportunity. When Mumbai’s traffic police launched their campaign against drunken driving last year, one man spotted just such a chance.
Hasan Momin, 45, is a driver with a travel agency in Vile Parle. Hasan would often read how hundreds of motorists were being caught and jailed for drinking and driving. “A thought struck me,” he says. “Why not provide drivers to these people who want to go out for a drink?”
Having worked as a driver for two years, Hasan knew 25-30 other drivers who would be willing to make some extra money. With no money to advertise, he began using the time-honoured method: word of mouth. “It took a couple of months for the word to spread, but as the traffic police drive got more intensive, requests started pouring in,” he says.
When a customer calls Hasan to request for a driver, he only has to decide whom to send. “If a customer is from the western suburbs, I send a driver residing in that area,” he says. “I only provide the driver. The vehicle is the customer’s.”
Hasan does not charge a commission from the drivers he sends. “I am happy that my fellow drivers are making some extra money,” he says. Turn to p9
But he chooses his drivers with care, recommending only those who are experienced and whose background he has checked thoroughly. A driver who is new to the city is never recommended.