17 female bus drivers joined UPSRTC, but only three can drive this year owing to licensing requirements. Others will work at workshops for a stipend before driving. While the first batch of 17 female bus drivers entered the UPSRTC roster on March 16, just three will be able to demonstrate their driving abilities this year.
UPSRTC planned to deploy these ladies from around Uttar Pradesh to commandeer inter-district buses. However, the majority of them require months to earn a license to drive big vehicles.
SP Singh, a former principal at Model UPSRTC Driving Training and Research Institute in Kanpur, oversaw the first batch of female learners for the most of their 24-month training program.
“I’m glad to have seen a project born during my term to success. While I retired in December, the girls officially completed their training on January 27.”
According to Singh, these ladies were awarded learners’ licences for LMVs (light motor vehicles) during their training, which will mature into permanent permits after around six months. These licensees can only receive HMV (heavy motor vehicle) licences 12 months after acquiring their first. To become a driver, you must have held an HMV licence for more than 24 months (7 months of classroom and track instruction, and 17 months of workshop and on-the-job training).
“Only three women had proper licences before they began training, making them eligible for a driver’s role now,” explained Singh, “the other 14 girls still have several months left before they finally take the wheel.”
Meanwhile, these 14 women will labor at UPSRTC workshops, learning about bus technology and maintenance, and driving short distances as needed, but not carrying passengers. They would be paid a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000.
Ved Kumari of Ghaziabad, Priyanka Kumari of Ghaziabad, and Sonu Malan of Aligarh all have legal licenses to drive heavy motor vehicles. They have yet to get their assignments, but have been promised that they will be sent on the road within the next week.
Malan added further saying, “We have gone through two years of training to be officially a government bus driver. I am nervous but very excited, too.”
