Soon you will see women driving around roadways buses in Uttar Pradesh. As part of its ongoing effort to hone the skills of women to make them self-reliant, the state government is gearing up to organise training for second and third batches of female roadways bus drivers in the state. The training of the first batch of women was done in March 2021.

The second and third batches of female drivers will receive training at the Model Driving Training and Research Institute in Kanpur. As per a press note by the government, women drivers will be given training in both Light Motor Vehicle Driver Level-3 and Commercial Vehicle Driver Level-4 courses.

SP Singh, Principal of the training institute, was quoted as saying that the training duration of Light Motor Vehicle Driver Level-3 course will be 344 hours (three months). After which the assessment will be done through the Sector Skill Council ASDC (Automotive Skills Development Council) Delhi determined by the Skill Development Mission.

Qualified candidates will undergo 400 hours (four months) training of Commercial Vehicle Driver Level-4 course. After completing both the courses, there will be 17 months of training at the bus depot.

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During the training, candidates will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 6,000. This course is residential, and candidates are required to stay in the hostel provided for the duration of both training courses. Accommodation and meals will be provided free of cost.

Upon the completion of the 24-month training programme, candidates will be assigned as contract drivers at the depot, tasked with operating pink buses. For this, it is necessary that the candidate should not have previously received training from any institute under the Skill Development Mission.

The second batch is set to accommodate 27 candidates, of which as of now, 15 registrations have been completed while 12 are yet to be done for training at the institute. As per the press note, priority for registration will be given to women who apply first, and their training is expected to conclude in January 2024.

During the launch of ‘Mission Mahila Sarathi’ in Shardiya Navratri, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave responsibility for the operation of buses to women drivers and conductors in Ayodhya. A total of 51 buses were flagged off, out of which 18 were operated by women drivers and conductors.

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Women who wish to apply for this training, they need to following documents:

1. Educational qualification (Should be at least Grade 8 pass-out)

2. Aadhaar Card

3. Bank Passbook

4. A photo

5. Height — 5 feet 3 inches

6. Age – maximum 34 years

7. Detailed information can be received from Ram Pal Maurya at mobile no. 9792746532, or SP Singh at mobile no. 8726005222