Women drivers for ‘Ama Bus’: 20 drivers to receive e-bus training in Pune

A high-level review meeting on CRUT’s Ama Bus services, which was presided over by Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, was held on Tuesday with a strong focus on passenger safety, women's empowerment, and expansion of public transport in the State.

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Emphasising safer travel for women passengers and rising demand for public transport, the Minister announced that women drivers will operate Ama Bus services. As part of this initiative, 20 women drivers will be sent to Pune on January 31 for specialised training in electric bus operations. CRUT will also set up its own training institute at the depot, offering practical, behavioural, traffic-rule, and lane-driving training.

The Minister advised officials to expedite Ama Bus operations in Baripada, Keonjhar, and Angul. Highlighting safety initiatives, he said CRUT has provided immediate compassionate assistance to accident-affected families and insurance coverage exceeding Rs 4 crore for families of those who lost their lives.

Notably, to curb road accidents linked to alcohol consumption, mandatory breathalyser tests have been enforced. Over the past year, around 1.97 lakh tests were conducted, identifying 19 drivers under the influence of alcohol. Their licences have been seized, police action taken, and suspension for three months recommended.

Worth mentioning, earlier in another incident, CRUT had hogged the headlines. Two people, including a woman, were killed on the spot after an ‘Ama Bus’ had rammed into an auto-rickshaw at Rupali Square in Bhubaneswar on January 3.

Reportedly, the bus had hit an auto-rickshaw from behind while several other vehicles were halted at the busy traffic junction.

The auto-rickshaw had been positioned behind a school bus when the collision took place. The impact was so severe that the ill-fated three-wheeler had been completely crushed into mangled debris and pushed forward, hitting the rear portion of the school bus and causing damage to it as well.

The auto driver and a woman passenger had died instantly at the scene.

Reported By: Arun Kumar Sahu