Delhi govt relaxes norms for hiring of women drivers for DTC and cluster buses

Delhi government has eased the norms of recruiting women drivers for DTC and cluster buses in the city by relaxing rules in the height and experience criteria. While previously the minimum height required was 159 cm, it has now been reduced to 153 cm. The experience period after issuance of Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) license has been lowered to one month from three years previously, as per Transport Department notification.

Further, the department has made a proposal to specially allocate funds in the form of subsidies for women drivers to train at Delhi government's Burari Driving Training Institute in the upcoming budget 2022-23. “We have not only relaxed the eligibility criteria, but we will also ensure that women are provided free training in our Burari driving training institute," Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said, PTI reported.

Through this initiative, more opportunities will be provided to women to get a job as a driver for the combined fleet strength of 6,900 buses in the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Delhi Integrated Multi-modal Transit System (DIMTS) employing 15,000 drivers. The government will also provide a hands-on road training to women drivers during the one-month period on its non-occupied buses.

Post completion of the mandatory one-month training, women will have to go through a round of testing to be inducted as bus drivers. The height criteria had long remained a hurdle for young women who wanted to be employed as bus drivers. "It was felt that there was a need to further reduce the minimum height criteria in line with global standards and bring it down to 153 cm to enable more women to apply as bus drivers," a Transport department statement read.

The decision to relax the norms may lead to at least 15-20 women being inducted to bus driving operations every year, claimed Azad Foundation, a non-profit group which has been promoting women employment.

(with inputs from PTI)