Patna: The Bihar government has begun training women to drive and operate its women-only “pink buses”, a scheme officials say is aimed at improving safety on public transport while promoting female employment in the state.
Training for the first batch of drivers is under way at the Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR) in Aurangabad, where 21 women are currently learning to operate the buses. Once training is completed, they are expected to take charge of pink bus services already running in several districts.
The initiative is part of a wider plan that will eventually require around 225 female drivers. According to the state’s transport department, recruitment and training efforts are being scaled up to meet this target.
Shravan Kumar, Bihar’s transport and rural development minister, said the programme would serve as a model for women’s empowerment. “In the coming times, women will set an example of self-reliance by taking on these roles,” he said.
Pink bus services are currently operational in six districts, with women employed as both drivers and conductors. One trainee driver at the Aurangabad centre said learning to drive the buses had given her confidence and sent a broader message to women about independence and opportunity.
The service was initially launched in major cities including Patna, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga and Purnia, where more than 20 pink buses are already in operation. Officials say the response from passengers has been positive, with demand increasing steadily.
In a second phase, the transport department plans to deploy more than 110 additional buses in other districts. The long-term aim, authorities say, is to roll out the women-only service across all districts of Bihar.
