Maharashtra to hire 10,000 women drivers for ST buses

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, August 24

Maharashtra will soon have a large number of women drivers "manning" its fleet of state transport buses.

On Friday evening, the state government handed out appointment letters to 163 women with licenses to drive heavy vehicles. The women will join the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).

"The women will be provided training for one year after which they will take to the wheels of our ST buses," Transport Minister Diwakar Raote said at an event organised in Pune.

The minister said the government had to change recruitment rules to ensure that women were hired as bus drivers.

"Earlier there was a rule that only those with three years' experience driving heavy vehicles could be hired as drivers by MSRTC. It was very difficult to find women with this kind of experience and we could not hire anyone," Raote said.
The Maharashtra Government has now set a target to hire 10,000 women drivers in due course.

"Everything will depend on this pilot project and the first team of 163 drivers who are hired as bus drivers," Raote said.
Most of the women who have been hired by MSRTC hail from tribal communities in Maharashtra, according to officials of the corporation.

MSRTC has already hired 4500 women conductors. It has 36,000 male drivers on its rolls.

After completion of their training, the women will have to clear further driving tests before they are assigned to various bus depots belonging to MSRTC, according to officials.

Former president of India Pratibha Patil who was the chief guest at the event suggested that the women drivers be posted near their homes.

Patil, who was India's first female president, urged MSRTC to improve the safety and security of its women personnel.