Patna: Jeevika Didis will soon be driving and managing Bihar’s women-only pink buses as part of a new initiative by the state transport department aimed at expanding employment opportunities for women. Transport minister Shravan Kumar announced the move during a departmental review meeting at Visvesvaraya Bhavan on Wednesday.
The minister said the scheme represents “a new chapter in women’s empowerment” and will create pathways for women to enter public transport roles traditionally dominated by men. Selected Jeevika Didis will receive specialised heavy motor vehicle (HMV) training at the Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR) in Patna or Aurangabad before joining the pink bus fleet.
Women interested in the programme—including those who already hold light motor vehicle (LMV) licences—may apply until December 15, 2025. The minimum educational qualification for drivers is completion of eighth grade, with preference given to those who have studied up to ninth or tenth grade. After training, HMV licence holders will be employed on a contractual basis.
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Bihar’s Pink Buses Handed Over to Women as Corporation Begins Recruitment of Female Drivers
At present, Bihar operates 100 pink buses. To staff them adequately, the department plans to train 200 women as drivers and conductors.
During the review meeting, the Transport Minister also instructed officials to accelerate pending transport projects and to undertake measures to reduce road accidents. He emphasised timely compensation for victims of road crashes and called for stricter enforcement of helmet and seat belt rules.
The meeting was attended by state transport commissioner Ashutosh Dwivedi, additional secretary Praveen Kumar, BSRTC administrator Atul Kumar Verma, joint secretary Krityanand Ranjan and special officers Kumari Archana and Aruna Kumari, among others.
