Meet Anila, Jisna, Sheena, and Sreekutty
These four women are breaking barriers and stereotypes, as they aim to get behind the wheels of public buses in Kerala
These women, all with diverse backgrounds, are now undergoing comprehensive training at Kerala State Road Transport Corporation’s Staff Training Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
Their mission is to navigate the city’s roads and beyond as skilled drivers of the SWIFT electric buses.
They will be deployed to drive a new fleet of 163 electric buses under the KSRTC.
And part of training them is VP Sheela, KSRTC’s only woman driver at present
All four trainees have a licence to drive heavy vehicles.
Anila, Jisna and Sheena are from families who own vehicles; they are motorheads who learned driving to be independent and earn a living.
Under the guidance of veteran driver and trainer Sanal Kumar, the trainees are mastering their skills on the basic mechanism of the vehicle, what to check before they begin their duty for the day, road rules and regulations, safety, and ensuring they are ready for any challenge that comes their way.
These women are also being trained in managing their health and developing soft skills to handle chauvinistic drivers, road rage and rude passengers
Additionally, they are receiving martial arts training from the police to enhance their personal safety
To improve the facilities for the women drivers, restrooms and dormitories are being added at bus stations.
Gender parity
Officials at KSRTC say that they want to break the misconception that driving buses is not for women
They add that even students can become part-time drivers.
Soon, Thiruvananthapuram will be one of the first cities in Kerala where 25% of the drivers will be women.
As the training progresses, these extraordinary women are inspiring the people around them.
With August approaching, Anila, Jisna, Sheena, and Sreekutty are preparing to make their mark on the roads of Thiruvananthapuram.
Reporting: Saraswathy Nagarajan
Voiceover: Gopika K P
Production: Reenu Cyriac
Video: Sreejith R Kumar
