Yogita
Bhaskar Mane and Chitra Ramrao Shikre, who opted bus driving as full-time
occupation are driving buses at least 200 kms per day on roads of Navi Mumbai
and are proud of their achievements. They both hail from Mumbai. These women
encountered several issues initially but soon, people around them started
respecting their decision once they saw their performance.
Hired
under the Tejaswini bus scheme for women, the two lady drivers are effectively
driving Eicher Skyline PRO Midi buses. The scheme basically tends to provide a
safer and more comfortable commute for working women. Everything from the bus
to the staff is adapted for women empowerment. The buses being run are Eicher
Skyline PRO City Buses build on the Midi platform.
The
biggest advantage that the Eicher Skyline PRO Bus bring was the advance AMT
(Automated Manual transmission) which eliminates the clutch paddle and frequent
gear shifting, improve product mileageand make the life of the driver easy.
Apart from AMT the bus also has features like tilt and telescoping steering,
roll down drive side window on the full length driver door and 3 ways
adjustable driver seat for ergonomics and comfort during the long duty hours. A
big safety feature is the Hill Start Assist (HSA) which is effectively used in
a city like Mumbai which has numerous flyovers and heavy traffic conditions. ..
These features further make the product much more comfortable and safe even
women’s can drive it so easily
According
to Ms Mane and Ms Shikre, they initially took a three months training in manual
driving and later were trained by Eicher extensively for automatic transmission
vehicles.
On
the importance of driver training, B Srinivas, Sr. Vice President, BUS - Sales
& Marketing, VE Commercial Vehicles said, “The automotive industry
currently faces an acute shortage of skilled drivers, especially in the city
bus segment. The Driver Training initiatives highlights our commitment to the
driver education and upskilling as well as employment generation in the
industry. Through these training program, these drivers overcome the skills gap
required to obtain licenses to drive heavy commercial vehicles which widens the
scope of opportunities available to them”