G Plus Volume 1 Issue 45

4
City
G PLUS AUG 09 - AUG 15, 2014
Women bus
Despite the low turnout, ten more city buses, customised exclusively for women are
likely to be added, with the authorities determined to make the service a success.
service to continue
mrinmoyee hazarika
After stalling the much anticipated
city bus service started
exclusively for women last
month for two days in a row, the
government has vowed to ensure the
smooth continuation of the same in
the future.
Following the hitch, the regional
transport authority, Kamrup (M)
has resumed the all women city bus
service again announcing to add ten
more customised city buses to the
existing lot which will be imported
from outside the state.
“One of the reasons for discontinuation
of the women city bus service
for a brief period was the lack of
adequate passengers. Therefore, now
the transport department has introduced
one new route where there
is more possibility of getting more
number of women passengers and
the department promises to continue
the service in the city,” Dwijen Das,
secretary of the Kamrup regional
transport authority who retired from
active service last Thursday (31st July,
2014) said.
Das also cited that another reason
for the unfortunate incident of
cessation of the service though for a
short period was the festival of Eid.
Most of the drivers and other staffs
had taken off days because of the festival
and the women bus service got
affected.
“But, now we hope that this type
of situation will not be created again
and another ten buses exclusively for
women will likely be added by 15th
August. These new customised buses
will be painted with blue and white
coloured stripes for easy identification,”
Das mentioned.
Currently, 10 all-women city buses,
which include six privately owned
and four government run ASTC buses,
are plying in two different routes
of the city. The four ASTC buses are
running on the existing route from
Khanapara to Kachari via Ganeshguri,
Bhangagarh, Paltan Bazaar,
Panbazar Pani tanky and back via
Md Tayabulla Road, District Library,
Reserve Bank, Panbazar over bridge
and Paltan Bazaar. The remaining
six private buses are running on the
new route from Basistha Chariali
to Gauhati University via Zoo road,
Chandmari, Handique college and
Maligaon.
Besides, the timing of the buses
have also been changed. The buses
are now plying between 8am and 8pm
within a gap of half an hour, instead
of the pervious timing of between
7am and 11am and 3pm and 8pm.
The buses are equipped with
CCTV cameras and each one has
a three-member staff that includes
a driver and two conductors, all of
them are women.
“It is very hard to get skilled drivers,
be it male or female. To solve this
problem, we have come up with some
new suggestions and request the unemployed
youths to come forward
and cooperate with us,” Gautam Das,
DTO, (Registration and Licensing),
Kamrup (M) said.
Regarding the initiatives taken
up by the transport department to
engage skilled drivers into the profession
of driving commercial vehicles,
Gautam Das stated that the department
is asking primarily for four
categories of people to come forward.
They are – persons holding a driving
license for a year, persons with the
educational qualification up to eighth
class, people who have completed the
age of 20 and educated unemployed
persons.
“We will provide training to
those people and after completion
of the training they will be provided
with a certificate. The certificate
holders will be eligible to drive commercial
vehicles,” Gautam Das said.
Zerifa Wahid
(Actor)
The brand ambassador of
the initiative as well as noted
Assamese actor Zerifa Wahid
has urged the womenfolk of
the city to use the all women
bus service.
Appealing the women of all
walks of life, Wahid said, “The
buses may not attract passengers
initially, but things will
improve. We have to applaud
district transport officials for
providing safe transportation
for women. They are doing it
on an experimental basis and
we need to provide support”
She further stated, “It is illogical
to ask all the women
to board on the all-women
city buses only. They have to
get on the first bus they see
whenever they are in hurry.
But, I am requesting them to
avail the service when they
get the chance to”
“It is very hard to get skilled
drivers, be it male or female.
To solve this problem, we
have come up with some new
suggestions and request the
unemployed youths to come
forward and cooperate with us,”
Meghali Bora, Entrepreneur
Meghali Bora, proprietor of
Meghna’s Driving Training
Institute which is exclusively
for women also lauded the government’s
initiative of introducing all-women city
bus service in Guwahati.
“I have been involved with the initiative from the
very beginning. I have come across several clients
who prefer for a lady driver especially the situation
getting worst day by day as far as safety and
security for the women is concerned. Besides, it
will also provide a decent way to earn money for
many young and courageous girls,” Meghali Bora
stated.
Deepali Rajkhowa, Women Bus driver
Appealing the women of the city to avail the
all-women city bus service, Deepali Rajkhowa,
the first female city bus driver of Guwahati remembered,
“I have started driving my first city
bus in the year 1989, when I was just 21 years
old. It was a government project for the educated
unemployed and I owned a Swaraj majda
and started plying it on the roads of Guwahati.
Later, I bought another three buses.”
Mentioning about driving vehicles like
Mitsubishi Canter, she also stated, “In my
experience of more than twenty years in
the field of city bus service, I have never felt
insecure. I can still remember driving the bus
at 11 0 clock in the night, but never confronted
any untoward incidences. Now, the government
has taken a good initiative by starting
all women city bus service in the city and the
women should take the benefit of it”
Though Rajkhowa, who is now a contractor
by profession, had discontinued driving city
buses in a year or two after she started it in the
year 1989, she used to drive her own city buses
whenever there was need till 2011.
She also stated that apart from driving, the
students in her institute are being trained in
martial arts and technical knowledge related to
the vehicle also.
“We have also trained some girls who cannot bear
the expenses of training for free. After completion
of training, we help them getting job opportunities,”
encouraging the girls to take up the profession
with pride, Bora, who acquired a professional
driving license 24 years ago said.
She is also planning to launch ‘Megha Cabs’ soon,
which will cater only the female passengers from
different parts of city locations including the air
port and railway platform.
rahul.chanda@g-plus.in