DTC plans to hire female drivers for its bus fleet

The Delhi Transport Corporation, during a board meeting earlier this month, decided to hire women drivers for its huge fleet of buses.

The jobs will soon be advertised, according to DTC spokesperson R.S. Minhas. Currently, the public transporter has only one woman driver.

As per rules formulated for hiring female drivers, the maximum age limit for female applicants is 40 years as against 35 years for male applicants. It will not be mandatory for women applicants to have a heavy motor vehicles licence. Even those having light motor vehicles or commercial vehicles licence will be eligible to appear for the recruitment test, according to the DTC.

“The board, after detailed discussion on the agenda items, accorded approval for the contractual engagement of women drivers,” Mr Minhas said and added that the decision was taken based on the recommendations of the core group of women’s safety.

The corporation will collaborate with Sakha Cabs, a women-only taxi service. However, the hiring of female bus conductors have been put on hold for sometime. The DTC has nearly 250 female conductors.

During the New Delhi Asian Games in 1982, the DTC had for the first time deployed female conductors on board its buses. Later, these female conductors were shifted to office jobs. However, again during the Commonwealth Games, a large number of female conductors were recruited. They are presently deployed on ladies special buses, Mr Minhas said.

The first woman driver was appointed last year by the DTC. She plies the corporation’s buses on the Route 543 — from Anand Vihar to Safdarjung. Last time when the DTC posted vacancies for drivers, seven women candidates had applied, but only one was selected as a trainee bus driver.

After getting a nod in its board meeting on August 2, the corporation’s personnel department will soon advertise the job vacancies for female drivers, Mr Minhas said. The shortlisted candidates will undergo a three-month training at the DTC Training School. The corporation will also help the selected candidates in getting heavy motor vehicles licence.