Bhubaneswar: In a major step towards enhancing women’s safety and promoting inclusive employment, the state government has placed special emphasis on inducting women drivers into the ‘Ama Bus’ Service.
Chairing a high-level review meeting on performance and operations of ‘Ama Bus’ Service, Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra announced that 20 women candidates from Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) will be sent to Pune January 31 for specialised training in e-bus driving.
He said a dedicated driver training institute will soon be set up at the CRUT depot.
The institute will focus on practical driving skills, behavioural training, traffic rules, lane discipline, and road safety.
Directing officials to strengthen public transport connectivity, Mohapatra asked them to expedite the ongoing expansion of ‘Ama Bus’ Services in Baripada, Keonjhar, and Angul.
The minister discussed several structural, safety, and service-improvement measures aimed at strengthening the public transport.
Emphasising passenger safety, Mohapatra said alcohol consumption remains one of the leading causes of road accidents.
To address this, alcohol testing has been made mandatory for all ‘Ama Bus’ drivers.
Over the past year, 1.97 lakh alcohol tests were conducted through preand post-trip checks as well as random inspections during operational hours.
Of these, 19 drivers tested positive for alcohol consumption.
The drivers were arrested, and their licences were suspended for three months.
The cancelled licences were forwarded to the respective Regional Transport Officers.
Mohapatra further stated that CRUT, as a pioneering government-run public transport organisation, has extended immediate compassionate assistance to the families of accident victims and provided insurance coverage exceeding Rs 4 crore to the families of those who lost their lives in road accidents.
