From driving tractors on farms to roadways buses, the first batch of women drivers of the Delhi Transport Corporation have varied profiles but a common motto -- to encourage more women to join them and make public transport safer for the fairer sex.
Bharti (27) from Haryana, one of the 11 bus drivers who were handed over appointment letters by Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Tuesday, drove a tractor on her family farm and a motorcycle before she decided to take up the job of a bus driver.
She trained as a bus driver with the Haryana Roadways.
"But Delhi's roads are congested and it is going to be difficult to drive on them. Haryana's roads are more open and have lesser traffic," she Bharti.
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Her colleagues, some of whom have worked as drivers with Haryana Roadways, concurred.
Kiran (23) said it is a proud moment for her that she will be driving in Delhi.
"But it will take me at least two days to get acquainted with the routes," Kiran told PTI.
Asked about the notion that women are not good drivers, she said, "If opportunities are given to them, women will prove this wrong. With more women joining, public transport will become the preferred mode of transportation for women."
Kiran has never driven a four-wheeler before but is confident about driving a bus. She filled out the form to get training as a bus driver in February.
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"My parents were extremely supportive of my decision and encouraged me while I was undergoing training," she said.
Nitu Devi (25), a former Haryana Roadways driver from Hisar, also said women commuters will feel safe if they see a woman driver.
On the difference between driving in Haryana and Delhi, she said, "In Haryana, you will find traffic only on the main city roads. On the other hand, Delhi roads have a lot of traffic."
Seema from Delhi faced opposition from her husband when she told him that she wanted to quit her taxi driver's job with a private firm and become a bus driver instead.
"I was working as a driver with a private firm. My job involved ferrying passengers from the airport to their destinations. When I filled out the form to undergo training as a bus driver, my husband was not very happy with the decision, but my children convinced him. Whenever I felt demotivated, my children cheered me up," she said.
Komal (23) said the newly inducted women drivers started driving two-three days ago and that people do get a bit surprised when they see a woman behind the wheel.
"Many a times passengers say 'bhaiya, Gadi rokna'. Then the conductor tells them 'yeh bhaiya Nahi, didi hain'. Then they say that they did not realize that a woman was driving the bus," said Komal, who has been posted at the Sarojini Nagar depot and is pursuing her master's degree through correspondence from Rajasthan.
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Also among the first batch of women drivers of the DTC are Sharmila, a 35-year-old mother of two and a former Haryana Roadways driver, and Babita Das from Haryana.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday congratulated the 11 women bus drivers and said they joined the team after receiving training at a government institute.
"I congratulate all of them. I am personally delighted to see our sisters take charge of the wheels of Delhi. In the coming times, 200 more women will be trained as bus drivers and join us very soon," he said.
