Free taxi rides for pregnant ladies - we have seen this in Superstar Rajinikanth's 1995 blockbuster Baasha, but there's a cabbie in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, who offers this complimentary service for real.

Meet P Raveendran, 32, who gives free rides to expectant mothers and mothers with small children.

The Star spoke to this kind-hearted man, who even did not give up his service when business was down during the Movement Control Order (MCO).

Raveendran makes trips to the maternity unit of the Seremban general hospital three times a week to see if any expectant mothers require transportation and how he could offer help.

"Life is not all about money.

"This is my contribution to the society," the youngest of five siblings was quoted telling by the daily.

Inspired by Baasha

Raveendran admits that it was his favourite actor Rajinikanth's Baasha which inspired him to provide free service to pregnant women.

"I remember thinking that I would like to do the same one day."

That wish was reignited after he saw many autos with stickers offering complimentary rides to heavily pregnant women, during a trip with his wife and friends to India in 2018.

Just over a month after he began providing the service, his wife became pregnant with their first child, after more than a year of marriage.

The birth of his daughter last January made Raveendran extend his service not only to pregnant ladies, but to new mothers and their young children as well, said the report.

Raveendran's wife, a factory worker, is very much supportive of her husband's charitable deed.

The furthest Raveendran has ferried a pregnant woman is from Rantai to the KL International Airport in Serdang - a total of 60km, for a token sum of RM50.

Although the ride cost RM120, Raveendran only accepted RM50 after the woman refused to get out of the taxi until he accepted at least some payment from her.

According to Raveendran, some of his friends think he is "crazy" and "foolish" to offer free rides, but none of that matters to him.

At the end of the day, the words "thank you, brother" from his grateful passengers is enough to make his day, he said.

"It keeps me going, no matter how tired I am.

"At the end of every day, I can hold my head up high knowing that I have helped another human being," he told the daily.

Bravo indeed, Raveendran!

Such a noble deed will surely get rewarded. Superstar Rajinikanth will definitely be proud of you for walking the talk!


Source: The Star
Photo source: The Star