In a landmark move to promote women-led urban mobility, the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT), Odisha’s flagship public transport system, has inducted women drivers into its AMA Bus services.
Twenty women drivers holding valid Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) licences departed for Pune today to undergo a 14-day advanced training programme at the OEM EKKA Mobility plant. Sponsored and supported technically by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), the training will run from February 2 to February 15, focusing on electric bus handling, advanced driving practices, safety protocols, and operational excellence. The trainees will return on February 17.
Before departure, the women drivers were felicitated by Dr Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Hon’ble Minister, Housing & Urban Development Department, and Smt. Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department. Both leaders encouraged the trainees to complete the programme successfully and emerge as role models in public transport.
Shri Sanjaya Biswal, Managing Director, and Sahadev Samadhia, GM CRUT, along with other dignitaries, attended the felicitation ceremony at Kharabela Bhawan. They reaffirmed CRUT’s commitment to skill development, gender inclusion, and strengthening urban public transport services across the Capital Region.
This initiative reflects the Government of Odisha’s vision of building a safe, inclusive, and future-ready public transport ecosystem. It also creates sustainable livelihood opportunities and leadership pathways for women in the urban mobility sector, setting a precedent for gender empowerment in public transport nationwide.
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