By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:In a bid to ensure women’s participation in urban transport, the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), the premier and most reliable public transport system of the Odisha government, has started inducting women drivers for its ‘Aam Bus’ service.
In a significant step in this direction, in the first phase, 20 women drivers with Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) licenses have been selected for high-quality training in Pune. These trainees left for Pune by air today to undergo specialized training to enhance their skills in operating modern electric buses.
Before leaving for Pune, the women drivers were felicitated and felicitated by Hon’ble Minister for Housing and Urban Development Dr. Krishna Chandra Mohapatra and Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department Smt. Usha Padhi. They were encouraged to successfully complete the training program and set an example in public transport services.
The 14-day high-quality training program, scheduled from February 2 to February 15, 2026, will be held at the original equipment manufacturer Ekka Mobility’s plant in Pune with the technical support of GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit). The program will focus on electric bus operation, advanced driving, safety protocols and operational excellence.
The trainees are scheduled to return on February 17, 2026.The felicitation ceremony held at the conference hall on the third floor of Kharawela Bhavan was attended by CRUT Managing Director Shri Sanjay Biswal, General Manager Shri Sahadeva Samadhya and senior officers of the department. They encouraged the trainees and reiterated CRUT’s commitment to skill development, women empowerment and strengthening urban public transport services.
The Odisha government is prioritizing sustainable livelihood opportunities and leadership skills development for women in urban transport, as well as building a safe, equitable, and future-proof public transport system.
