Patna: In the small towns and villages of Masaurhi near Patna, a quiet but powerful change is taking place. Six young women from the Musahar community — Aarti Kumari, Ragini Kumari, Anita Kumari, Savitri Kumari, Gayatri Kumari and Baby Kumari — have become the first female bus drivers in Bihar. They now drive the Pink Buses of the Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) on the busy streets of Patna. For families that once struggled with poverty and social discrimination, their success is not just personal, but a proud moment for the entire community.
The Pink Bus service was launched by the Bihar government in May 2025 to provide safe and comfortable travel for women, with a plan to have an all-female staff. While many women were ready to work as conductors, there were hardly any trained female drivers. At first, men had to be hired to run the buses. Later, the Transport Department contacted the Driver Training Institute (IDTR) in Aurangabad, where some girls had already received basic driving training. That is where officials found these six young women, who were ready to take on a role that no woman in Bihar had held before.
Their journey began with the support of Padma Shri awardee Sudha Varghese and her organisation, Nari Gunjan. Inspired by her encouragement, the girls decided to learn driving. In 2023, with the help of the Women Development Corporation, 18 girls received 21 days of light motor vehicle training. Later, these six were selected for heavy motor vehicle training. Even after completing the course, jobs were hard to find. Sudha Varghese then allowed them to practise driving her own car, taking turns every day. Ragini Kumari recalls that people in society mocked them and questioned their families. “They said a girl cannot drive a bus,” she said. “But we ignored everything and kept moving forward. Today, those same people praise us.”
Anita Kumari shares a similar story. She says that when they first left home to learn driving, they faced harsh words and doubts from neighbours. But slowly, their confidence grew. They first drove e-rickshaws and Totos, and now they are behind the wheel of large city buses. Their success is inspiring other families to think differently about their daughters’ futures. Under the guidance of nodal officer Mamta Kumari and trained drivers, the six women now practise regularly at the Patna bus depot and are becoming more confident every day.
Their jobs will soon be officially confirmed through Mauryan Cars Auto Service Limited, the agency responsible for driver recruitment for BSRTC. Once appointed, each of them will earn Rs 21,000 per month, bringing stability and dignity to their families. On Republic Day 2026, they proudly drove the Pink Buses as part of the state tableau at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, winning applause from leaders and the public alike. These six daughters have overcome poverty, social barriers and fear, and today they stand as role models for women across Bihar, proving that with courage and opportunity, even the boldest dreams can come true.
