Bhubaneswar, Jan 21:In a significant move to enhance the safety and inclusivity of public transport, the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) will soon recruit female drivers for its ‘Ama Bus’ service. The decision was made during a review meeting chaired by Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra today.
The meeting, which focused on the Ama Bus services, saw discussions on several structural improvements. CRUT Managing Director Sanjay Kumar Biswal, General Manager Sahadeva Samadhiya, and Officer on Special Duty Pallavi Behera were also present at the review session.
Minister Mohapatra emphasized the importance of female drivers, particularly in light of the growing demand for safe and reliable public transport for women passengers. To this end, CRUT plans to send at least 20 women for e-bus driving training in Pune on January 31. This initiative will mark a key step towards empowering women in the transport sector.
Additionally, Mohapatra highlighted CRUT’s proactive approach in providing compassionate assistance to families of accident victims, mentioning that the organisation has provided insurance cover worth over Rs 4 crore to the families of those who lost their lives in accidents involving CRUT buses.
The Minister also announced plans to build a dedicated training institute within the Ama Bus depot premises. The institute will focus on practical, behavioural, and safety training, including key aspects such as traffic rules and lane discipline.
Further, the meeting reviewed the ongoing expansion of Ama Bus services to other regions like Baripada, Keonjhar, and Angul, with the Minister urging faster progress on these projects.
Addressing concerns over road safety, the meeting underscored the importance of alcohol testing for drivers, with CRUT making it mandatory for all drivers to undergo alcohol tests before their duty. In the past year alone, 1.97 lakh alcohol tests have been conducted. Regular alcohol checks are also carried out at the start and end of each bus trip, as well as at random intervals during the day.
With these measures, CRUT aims to improve service quality and ensure the safety of passengers, especially women, across the state.
