Maharashtra News Update: Archana Atram, 30, became the first female driver in the history of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) last week after operating the government bus over a 35-kilometer route from Saswad to Nira. Although the MSRTC had long reserved seats for women in all positions, including drivers, they would often linger empty and eventually be given to male job applicants. Archana is one of six female drivers who recently joined the MSRTC team. She is a native of a village in the Kinwat taluka of the Nanded district.
Archana Atram: Pride Of Maharashtra
Every single employee, according to Depot, has been congratulating Archana and is ecstatic to have her on the team. Despite the fact that it can be challenging for women to drive such massive vehicles for such a long time, they believe she did a great job. Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister, and Rupali Chakankar, the head of the women’s commission, recently posted a video showing Atram operating a bus along with words of encouragement. Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, congratulated Archana Atram on Twitter.
Devendra Fadnavis Tweets
In a tweet, Fadnavis stated, “Another glass ceiling is broken! Ms. Archana Atram created history by becoming the first woman driver of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation. She drove the ST Bus from Saswad to Nira (District Pune). Soon we will see Ms. Atram with a woman bus conductor, and all passengers with a 50% discount on fares will be women too! Congratulations to Archana and all the woman drivers who joined MSRTC!” The minister also shared that a woman conductor would be joining Archana soon.
Another glass ceiling broken!
Ms. Archana Atram creates history by becoming the first woman driver of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation.
She drove the ST Bus from Saswad to Nira (District Pune). Soon we will see Ms. Atram with a woman bus conductor and all passengers… pic.twitter.com/PgZYxbhZ3H
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) June 14, 2023
Unable To Ride A Bicycle
Soon after the pandemic had ended, when Archana enrolled in the course in Pune, she was unable to even ride a bicycle. She had no idea what an accelerator, gear, or clutch were. She was completely self-taught by her trainer. She is now a bus driver, and the ride has been incredible. Her father, two brothers, and sister-in-law make up her family, according to media reports. Despite the loss of her mother, her brothers continued to support her in her endeavors.
86 slots for female bus drivers were set aside by the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) in 2012, but they remained unfilled due to a lack of applications. According to officials, the biggest obstacle was the requirement for qualifying that applicants have four years’ worth of experience operating heavy equipment. 2019 saw a shift in the selection process, and 150 women driver-conductors were hired, six of whom—including Atram—were given driving responsibilities. Due to the pandemic, the induction procedure was delayed, and following that, they underwent one year of training.
