It’s No Longer A Boys Club! 163 Tribal Women Inducted As Bus Drivers For MSRTC In Pune. Take The Wheel, Ladies

It’s No Longer A Boys Club! 163 Tribal Women Inducted As Bus Drivers For MSRTC In Pune. Take The Wheel, Ladies

In a groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind attempt, because every tiny move in the right direction for women is a sad ‘first’ in this country anyway, we can now be expected to drive around in buses that will be driven by female drivers. Yes, you heard that right. Tribal women have now been offered and are already being inducted to be part of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC).

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Close to 163 tribal women have recently had their first induction- they are going to be driving buses for the MSRTC under a pilot project that kickstarted in Pune very recently. A move that is aimed at emboldening the women by offering them the chance to pursue a career that is widely male-dominated, the Maharashtra government has made a remarkable attempt towards the cause of women empowerment.

Former President of India, Pratibha Patil is also involved in this initiative, as she handed over MSRTC’s appointment letters to the women who have been selected for this pilot project. Furthermore, the former President spoke about highlighting the safety of all the women who would now be taking on this initiative with MSRTC and said, “Administration should not send these women away from their homes. If they are to halt somewhere at night, they should be provided with a safe place to stay. These things should be taken care of.”

She also added, “Providing education to women and taking them forward towards development is something that will take us as nation forward. This is a very good opportunity for women. They were making strides in every field. Now they will also prove their ability in this field as well.” And prove they shall. Acing every field, be it taking to the skies or bringing homes accolades, women have only proved their mettle with every step they take in whichever direction.

The Transport Minister, Divakar Ravt also commented on the matter and said, “This is the first such initiative in the country. We have made arrangements to ensure the safety and security of the women.” At current, close to 36000 men assume this job position and according to the MRSTC vision, about 10,000 women would be seen entering the field within a year. Or such is the hope.

While we wonder what took so long for such initiatives to come up, we’d be lying if we didn’t say we aren’t happy about this. For hundreds of women, this will be yet another field to explore and find gainful employment. The requirements and laws for women drivers, as compared to men have been relaxed a little in context of designated height and experience, ensuring that this is a fair platform for women. With proper training, these women and many more would soon be ready, to literally drive some change!

Also Read : Dear Kejriwal, Free Transport Will Not Make Women Safer. We Do Hope It Will Give Them A Fighting Chance, Though

Sadhika Sehgal

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