MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS

CYCLE REPAIRING

Bicycle, today, has become the vehicle of the common man. It is found in the cities and also in the remote villages. It provides a ready and cheap means of transport and does not require much capital or broad roads.

The cycles and cycle-rickshaws which provide cheap means of conveyance in big towns like Amravati, Achalpur, Morshi, etc., and also in rural areas necessitate the establishment of cycle-repairing shops, The majority of the cycle-repairing shops are of medium size. Big shops are found only in a big town like Amravati. These shops provide employment to a good number of persons. These shops, besides cycle-repairing, sell cycle spare parts and take to such other allied occupations as hiring the bicycles, etc. Generally, these shops maintain about four to five cycles for hiring them out to customers on rates fixed per hour or per day.

The survey of these establishments conducted in Amravati district reveals the following facts about their capital investment, income and expenditure. The establishments were either big, medium or small. Their capital structure as revealed by the survey was as under: -

The main items of capital investment are the purchase of  bicycles and their spare parts and other equipment. In an  average unit, about four bicycles are kept for hiring out to  customers. The equipment of such shops comprises one or two  benches, a table, a petromax, if electricity is not available, spanners of various sizes, nuts, screws, cycle-pump and articles required to remove puncture, etc. Working capital is used for paying rent and wages, if any, and purchase of accessories required for running the shop.

Most of the establishments are managed by the owners with the help of their family members. They were usually situated in rented premises, the rent of which varies between Rs. 8 and Rs. 20 per month.

These establishments receive income from charges made for bicycle-repairing and for hiring out bicycles. Some shops also do the work of repairing stoves, petromaxes, etc. The net monthly income of small establishments was estimated to be about Rs. 104. of medium establishments about Rs. 131 and of big establishments about Rs. 228 per month.

Among the employees, teen-aged youngsters are found in larger numbers. They are paid between Rs. 15 and Rs. 25 in small towns and between Rs. 25 to Rs. 40 in big towns. Adults are paid between Rs. 45 and Rs. 60 per month.

The business of these shops remains brisk during summer and winter, particularly during harvest period and slack during monsoon.

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