Bhubaneswar, Jan 31: In a significant step towards promoting women-led urban mobility, the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT)—the flagship and most dependable public transport system of the Government of Odisha—has initiated the induction of women drivers for its AMA Bus services.

As part of the first phase of this pioneering initiative, 20 women drivers holding valid Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) licences have been selected for advanced professional training in Pune. The selected trainees departed for Pune by flight today to undergo specialised training aimed at enhancing their skills in modern city bus operations.

Prior to their departure, the women drivers were felicitated by Dr. Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Housing & Urban Development Minister, and Usha Padhee, department Secretary, who extended their warm wishes and encouraged them to successfully complete the training programme and emerge as role models in public transport services.

The 14-day advanced training programme, scheduled from 2nd February to 15th February 2026, will be conducted at the OEM EKKA Mobility plant, Pune, with sponsorship and technical support from GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit). The programme will focus on Electric Vehicle (EV) bus handling, advanced driving practices, safety protocols, and operational excellence. The trainees are scheduled to return on 17th February 2026.

Sanjaya Biswal, Managing Director , Sahadev Samadhia GM CRUT along with other officials and dignitaries, were present during the felicitation ceremony held in 3rd floor conference hall, Kharabela Bhawan, encouraging the trainees and reaffirming CRUT’s commitment to skill development, gender inclusion, and strengthening urban public transport services across the Capital Region.

This initiative reflects the Government of Odisha’s vision of building a safe, inclusive, and future-ready public transport ecosystem, while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities and leadership pathways for women in the urban mobility sector.