30-year-old Anita presses the clutch, slowly eases down on the break, turns the key to shut off the ignition, puts the keys inside her pocket, and gets down at Badarpur depot. Anita is a DTC bus driver and currently, she drives at Badarpur-Gurugram route. "I have been driving DTC buses for the past eight months. Before this, I used to drive taxis at Delhi's IGI airport- an initiative by 'Sakha Cabs'. I learned to drive through Azad Foundation but when the Delhi government started a scheme to include women drivers in the DTC fleet, I registered myself. During the day, I used to go to Burari to learn about bus driving and at night I used to drive a taxi," Anita said.
Last year, the Delhi government launched the Mission Parivartan to train women and help them obtain their heavy motor vehicle licences free of cost. Like Anita, the Delhi government has recruited around 35 women drivers so far. These women have been hired on a contractual basis.
Madhu also has a heavy vehicle license that she earned while taking training for DTC buses. At present, she drives a giant container truck for IKEA's online store in Pune. "It's a hoax that women can't drive! I drive a 50-feet long truck and I don't find any difficulty in driving them," Madhu said. Madhu and three other women drive container trucks for IKEA's Pune store.
Women driving big buses, trucks, cabs, forklift operators, ambulances, or an electric three-wheeler could be a rare thing to see in a small town but the trend is picking up in big cities. Be it Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, or Jaipur, women have gained control over the steering wheel in public tranport. Thanks to private firms and NGOs who are encouraging women from underprivileged backgrounds to drive. Azad Foundation and Chennai's ANEW are two of the leading non-profit organisations that have trained numerous women drivers in the past 15-18 years. The Association for Non-traditional Employment for Women (ANEW) started driving classes for marginalised women in 2006 while Azad Foundation launched similar initiatives in Delhi in 2008. Azad Foundation is now present in eight cities in India, directly or through partners.
"Earlier people were not very confident about women's skills as a driver but now schools, institutions, hospitals, hotels, state governments, everyone has started recruiting women for driver's jobs. People want women drivers for the safety of their children, for elderly people, and for women of course. However, gender biases still exist in this profession too which needs to be resolved soon," Dolon Ganguly, (Chief Functionary) at the Azad Foundation said. Around 4,000 women drivers from Azad Foundation have earned a permanent driving license to date. Ganguly said, "A driving license is a tool of empowerment for women which gives them the freedom to drive anywhere in India".
Dr Anu Chandran, the founding committee member at ANEW, and Chitra A.R, Head of Operations said, "We noted that the skill imparted from the driving schools was not enough for women to be “road ready” around 15 years ago. So we took up the torch and started training the deprived women in Chennai by giving them additional driving training and other skills required such as self-awareness, financial literacy, etc. However, women faced issues with employability due to zero experience. We then tied up with Savera Hotels. Nina Reddy, the hotel's joint manager appointed our women drivers as valet parkers to improve the driving experience. Technology has played a great role in shaping the livelihood of women auto drivers. The disruptive technology, ride-hailing apps like OLA/UBER/RAPIDO, etc are not gender biased".
Pink City Rickshaw Company also roped in around 200 women from low-income households for the electric rickshaw project in Jaipur. Gopesh Joshi, a spokesperson said, "Our main aim was to provide a dignified livelihood to women who belonged to the marginalised background. These women were either working as maids or as nursing staff in the hospital. When e-rickshaws were introduced in Jaipur, we decided to rope in women as the driver".
Evidently, women are gradually breaking gender stereotypes by entering into this male-dominated profession. However, the challenges remain persistent for them.
"Often male passengers pass offensive comments and make the video so that I react. They then register complaints on Delhi Transport's website. The Delhi transport department will never see the fault of a passenger. On every complaint, they deduct some portion from our salaries. I stifle my anger and tolerate the misbehavior of passengers. Some men want women to sit at home and work. When my husband and family have no issue with me driving a bus then why does society have a problem," DTC driver Anita said.
Renu Sharma, an e-rickshaw driver in Jaipur said her male counterparts often tried to bring their rickshaw to her side to hurt her. "They always use different tricks against us so that we quit our job".
In terms of safety challenges, women also get self-defence training from NGOs and private firms both. Chitra said that ANEW helps their trainees gain confidence with Krav Maga, an Israeli self-defense technique. Dr Chandran said Krav Maga is a self-defence system built on simple principles, instinctive movements, and practical techniques.
Women drivers are also trained in fixing punctured tyres. They are also taught communication skills, life skills, how to manage work-life balance, English speaking skills, Maps reading, traffic rules, and other softer skills.
"Let's accept the fact that if women are behind the steering wheel in a public transport, issues like overspeeding, drunk & drive, spitting on roads would tail off," MetroRide co-founder Girish Nagpal said. MetroRide recruits women for 2-wheeler and 3-wheeler operations in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.
Sagaya Rani is one of the e-rickshaw riders at MetroRide. She has been with the company for 2.5 years. "My duty starts at 7:30 am and I work till 4 pm. We have no restrictions here regarding timings or leave days. If my children need me at home I take the day off. Sometimes, during the middle of the day, I also go home and take a rest".
Saraswati has also been working at MetroRide for two years. "I was a receptionist before this. But during the lockdown, I lost my job. Also, my husband passed away. I stay with my two daughters and a mother-in-law. I am the breadwinner of my family. I earn roughly ₹16,000 per month".
Neelam, a Delhi-based Uber driver has been driving a cab since 2019 after her husband died due to cancer. "I learned to drive in one year. I used to go to Model Town to learn to drive. After a year, I gave my driving test in Delhi's Vikaspuri and cleared the test". Neelam joined Uber and now earns approximately ₹20,000/month.
Ride-hailing firm Uber said, "From the outset, we have encouraged female drivers to join the platform to have access to the same flexible earning opportunities as their male counterparts. In the past, we have partnered with many non-profits for training women drivers to offer them an opportunity to drive with our company".
Omkari, a driving teacher at Azad Foundation, learnt to drive after 12 years of her marriage. "I chose to learn driving to provide financial support to my husband. I learn both technical and non-technical skills related to driving in 10 months. After that, I started driving Sakha taxis at Delhi Airport at night. "I like driving during the night as there's less traffic," she said.
Because of my career choice as a driver, my children are now studying at English-medium schools, Omkari said. Besides, her elder daughter is pursuing MBA from IGNOU. Omkari and her husband have purchased two properties, one in Delhi and one in Gaur City, Noida.
Khushi at 31 is financing her graduation studies by driving a commercial taxi in Delhi. "Learning to drive a car has become easier now. When I started in 2009 there was no power steering then. Commuting to driving school was also difficult. However, now cars have more advanced features and one can commute easily via the Delhi metro or local buses," she said.
Sumitra is doing MA in political science from a college in Jaipur. Sumitra rides hatchbacks like the Hyundai i20, Tata Indigo and earns around ₹13,000 per month.
Jaipur-based Renu Sharma left her nursing job six years ago and chose to ride an e-rickshaw for job flexibility. "My husband opposed my driving decision due to my gender of course and of our caste. But I went against his will as I wanted to give a better life to my kids. I earn around ₹15,000 every month," Sharma added.
"It's a great feeling when you earn money on your own. It feels like I have gained freedom. I can freely spend time with my kids and husband without giving any justification to anyone at work," Uber auto driver Suman asserted.
Women auto and cab drivers are earning more than men in Chennai, ANEW mentioned. They work 9-10 hours a day and earn a profit of ₹25,000-30,000 a month, the organisation added. Dr Chandran said that the Chennai RTO office also told her that more women than men now have driving licenses in the city.
According to Ganguly, more than 80% of women who joined the Azad Foundation were either unemployed or were in menial jobs. They were also the victims of domestic violence and public place violence. However, access to income through driving empowers them to fight violence too. Also, along with driving Azad trains women how to change gendered norms and combat gender-based violence through its skill++ modules. Women drivers invest in their children's studies, skill development, and well-being. Their driving skill has also increased their mobility. "Sitting in a driver's seat, holding the steering and running a car key give them a sense of freedom. They no longer need permission to go to the market," she said.
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