Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
For the first time in the past 75 years, a woman driver drove the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) public transport bus on Thursday. The woman driver took the bus from Central Bus Stand to Sillod and returned on the same route. The passengers were astonished to see a woman driver driving a bus. The honour to drive a bus by any woman driver/conductor goes to Rama Gaikwad.
The women drivers appointed as drivers/conductors had to face severe problems for the past three years. They had to work only as conductors and not as drivers. Lokmat Times published news in this regard. The MSRTC administration taking cognizance of the news planned to give opportunities to women drivers.
Gaikwad drove a bus from Central Bus Stand at 11.30 am for Sillod along with conductor Rohini Khedkar. In all, 60 passengers were taken in the bus to Sillod while 21 passengers were brought to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in the same bus.
Divisional controller Sachin Kshirsagar, depot manager Avinash Sakhre, Laxman Lokhande, and station chief Santosh Najan guided the driver and the conductor.
Gaikwad said as she was driving for the first time, there was somewhat hesitation but later all went smoothly. It was indeed a proud moment for her, she said.