A little over two years ago, in August 2022, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) made the momentous move of introducing women to the male-dominated space of bus driving in the Capital. The act, though a welcome one, has evoked varied responses from the public, said women bus drivers.
While most of their fellow male drivers on the roads look down on them, cursing them for their gender and the stereotypes that come with it, women passengers often cheer them for their spirit, thanking them for imbuing a sense of safety in their commute. The journey for these women has been one paved with many an obstacle, including meagre pay and the uncertain nature of contractual work.
“When we drive on Delhi’s roads, we are subjected to a slew of taunts, most of them only aimed at us for being women drivers,” said Sunita Devi. “They range from calling us bad drivers to hurling insults at us for taking up a job they think only men are eligible for,” added the 36-year-old, who left her home in Haryana to come to the Capital to work as a bus driver.
Hardships galore
In August 2022, the DTC introduced 11 women to the fleet. Today, there are 60 women bus drivers employed by the transport body — a tiny number compared to their 9,500 male counterparts. The women are hired on contractual basis, like 5,000 other drivers on the fleet. Now, as some of them near the completion of the second stint of their one-year extendable contract, they claim that they are standing at the same spot at where they started.
“When we first joined the DTC, we were told that if we work well, then we will be made permanent and our salaries will see a proportionate rise,” said Babita Dhawan, who joined the DTC thinking the job implied freedom and financial security. However, neither the nature of the contract nor the pay has seen any change, she added.
“We make ₹800 per day for eight hours of work, and no work entails no pay,” she said. After spending ₹7,000 on rent, another large chunk on daily expenses, and sending some money back home to her family in Charkhi Dadri in Haryana, Ms. Dhawan said she is hardly left with anything to save.
Ms. Devi, who pays a similar amount on rent, said that travelling to and from Haryana to Delhi — a three-hour journey each way — would cost her close to ₹300 each way, leaving her with very little time, money, and energy. “Weighing the distance and cost, we decided to rent apartments here in the Capital to try and save money to send back home,” she said.
Not enough perks
Speaking to The Hindu, a senior DTC officer said that women drivers have nearly never been in an accident because of their caution. “The State government is considering increasing the number of women drivers as and when new buses are added to the fleet,” he added.
However, despite the obvious success of the move, women drivers complained that they have neither received a higher compensation or better perks. “We do not even get paid on government holidays like the permanent drivers of the fleet do,” added Neetu Devi.
While workers are usually backed by unions in raising their concerns, the handful of women drivers in a fleet of over 15,000 male drivers said that they are not adequately heard by their male contemporaries in the union. “Our demands and needs for specific women-centric holidays are never entertained by the union members, they invariably fall on deaf ears,” said Ms. Babita Dhawan.
Ms. Neetu Devi, though, said that despite the hardships, the job has its upsides. “A lot of my commuters have praised me for choosing this profession, and encouraged me to do better. Some women have even told me that having a woman driver makes them feel safer on public transport. Driving a public bus on the roads of a city that sees so much traffic, too, is a matter of pride,” she said.
