Clutching tightly onto her appointment letter on her first day at work, Seema, 35, one of Delhi’s first female bus drivers employed by the Delhi Transport Corporation, says “I think I’ve set an example today by breaking into a conventionally male-dominated profession. It was not easy to join this industry. But women shouldn’t stop dreaming.”
Family support meant everything to her. “I didn’t receive it, I had to fight for it,” she said about her new job.
While working as a taxi driver, which she felt was too mundane a job for her, she knew she had to prove all his doubters wrong and achieve her dream. Braving all odds, Seema got trained to drive heavy motor vehicles and applied for a driving licence. On Tuesday, she joined 10 other colleagues to become one of Delhi’s first DTC women drivers.
Mission Parivartan
Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot flagged off the first phase of ‘Mission Parivartan’, which is joint venture between the government and auto-maker Ashok Leyland, to induct women drivers to operate DTC and cluster scheme buses to promote women safety in public transport.
The Transport Department said it plans to train 180 more women to become bus drivers with the DTC. “To facilitate induction of women as bus drivers, the government had relaxed the norms and eligibility criteria to recruit women as drivers,” said a department official.
He added that the minimum height and experience criteria for induction as bus drivers were reduced for women applicants. Nine women from Haryana, one each from Rajasthan and Delhi have joined the fleet.
With an MA and JBT degree in hand, Neetu Devi, 25, had a stable teaching job in Hisar but she decided to become a driver. “Today, my entire colony thinks I have made history,” she said, adding that determination was everything and nothing was unachievable.
A State-level boxer by profession, Pooja, 23, received all the support she needed from her family. “While her father was an engineer, she wanted to become a bus driver,” she said, adding that she was never taught what she should and shouldn’t do. “Even after becoming a driver, I’ll be focusing on my boxing career side by side,” she said.
Sharmila, 35, worked as a government school cook in Haryana, said she chose to become a driver as the field interested her. “My husband works as a labourer. With my new job, I hope I’m able to fulfil my family’s dreams,” she added.
“This is historic, I never imagined that we’ll have female drivers,” said Charan Singh, who has been a driver for 12 years. He said he and his colleagues will provide support to the female drivers. “We will help them, ensure their safety and security as well,” he said.
Comprehensive training
“The training was overwhelming at first,” Ms Neetu Devi said. Among other things, she was taught how not to panic and take decisions during heavy traffic.
Ms. Devi said under the one-year contractual period, the department has decided to pay them on per kilometre basis. “We received ₹12,000 during the training period,” she said.
Another driver, Deepak, 28, who is simultaneously preparing for competitive exams, said she was taught how each part of the bus functions. “We were taught how to fix parts mechanically in case we are stuck,” she said.
