Govt push for women DTC drivers

HT reported on August 10 how the DTC could not add any other woman driver after V Saritha became the first woman to join the service in the state transporter in 2015.

Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot on Thursday held a meeting with officials of his department and NGO Azad Foundation to discuss ways to enhance the number of woman drivers in public transport buses.

Delhi Transport Corporation’s (DTC) first woman driver Vankadarath Saritha, at Sarojni Nagar DTC Bus Depot, in New Delhi (Raj K Raj / Hindustan Times)

“Deliberated how to raise the number of women drivers in public transport buses today in a meeting with Transport officials and representatives of @FoundationAzad. Delhi government is committed to empowerment and rise of the women under leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal,” the minister tweeted.

HT reported on August 10 how the DTC could not add any other woman driver after V Saritha became the first woman to join the service in the state transporter in 2015.

Data accessed by HT showed that of the total 28,949 employees of DTC, as on August 9, 28,149 (97.2%) were male, while 800 (2.7%) were female.

Besides just one woman bus driver, DTC has 15,433 conductors of which 14,702 (95.2%) are men and 731 (4.7%) are women.

The DTC said very few woman have the licence to drive a heavy vehicle which is mandatory for the job.