In bid to hire more women drivers, Delhi Transport Corporation to ease rules

The rules state that a driver must have a licence to drive a HMV and have three years of experience driving a bus. However, women will now need only a commercial licence for light motor vehicles (LMV) to apply for the job.

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“Before hitting the road, women drivers will first have to go through a six-month-long training. Those who have a licence for commercial LMVs will be trained for six months to drive buses before they can get a HMV licence. We will then assist them in getting the HMV licence,” an official said.

Officials said V Saritha — who is the first woman driver to join DTC and is currently undergoing training — will soon be ferrying passengers in the city. Saritha used to drive a school bus and hails from Telangana, an official said.

To make driving easy for these women, the corporation has also written to two big bus manufacturers to design the driver’s seat keeping women drivers in mind. According to the rules, a woman applicant should have a height of 5.3 ft to drive a DTC bus.

Sources, however, said the DTC is considering to reduce the height criterion for women applicants so that more women come forward.