The state-owned public transport body has recruited 28 women drivers and a few of them started driving passenger buses from Thursday, said its spokesperson Abhijit Bhosale
Representational Pic. iStock
Breaking male hegemony, a few women on Thursday drove buses of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) for the first time in its 75-year history.
ADVERTISEMENT
The state-owned public transport body has recruited 28 women drivers and a few of them started driving passenger buses from Thursday, said its spokesperson Abhijit Bhosale.
It was the start of "a new era," he said.
Madhavi Santosh Salve was among the first women drivers of the corporation as she commanded the steering wheel of a Sinnar-Nashik bus.
MSRTC vice-chairman and managing director Shekhar Channe told PTI that the women drivers who possessed the heavy vehicle license underwent rigorous training of three months, while those who did not have this licence underwent training for a full one year.
At the end of it, a test was conducted, and those who cleared it underwent another 80-day training.
As many as 206 women drivers had qualified in a direct recruitment scheme in 2019, and so far 28 of them have been recruited. Some of the qualified women opted out as the pandemic delayed the process.
The MSRTC, which has a fleet of more than 16,000 buses, already has more than 5,500 women conductors in its ranks.
MSRTC buses are considered Maharashtra's lifeline as they connect remote villages located in difficult terrains with town and cities across the state.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
