Meet UP roadways' 1st woman bus driver

MEERUT: Priyanka Kumari, 31, has no idea what a glass ceiling is. But she's just broken one to become the first female driver to take the wheels of UPSRTC's (UP state road transport corporation) pink express bus. She has been posted at the Kaushambi depot in Ghaziabad as an assistant driver on a day-time shift.
Originally from Bhagalpur district, Priyanka first ventured into the male- dominated world of heavy commercial vehicle driving four years ago after her husband Rajiv Singh, a daily wager in Delhi's Dilshad Garden, died early into her marriage due to a kidney ailment, leaving her to fend for herself and her two kids - Anandraj, 13, and Nipunraj, 11.
My sons my motivation, says UP's 1st woman bus driver
Narrating her story, Priyanka said, "In April 2016, both of my husband's kidneys stopped working. The doctor recommended a transplant but we had already exhausted all our savings on paying for tests, medicines and hospital bills. We couldn't afford the surgery and he died within a week after that."
"My whole world came crashing down after my husband's death. I had no idea how I would make ends meet as I had no qualification or skill. So, I decided to send my sons back to my hometown. It took me a month to pull myself together, I had to, for my sons. Initially, I took up odd jobs, including running a tea stall but it was a hand-to-mouth situation as earnings weren't much," she recalled while trying to hold back her tears.
Life took a turn for her in 2018, when she met her 'ustad', Subhash Yadav, a truck driver at a Delhi-based private transport company who offered her a job. "My father warned me against driving trucks out of concern for my safety but my children's future was at stake, so rejecting the offer was completely out of the question," she said. Rather than being pulled down by regressive social mores, Priyanka learnt how to drive a truck and even got her driving license with Subhash's help. From there on, she never looked back.
"First, I was given short distance routes to get acquainted with technical and maintenance aspects. Then, I was assigned longer routes as well and I drove up to Mumbai and Chennai," Priyanka said.
In December 2021, when Priyanka went to Kanpur to deliver a consignment, she chanced upon an opening for a bus driver for the UP roadways. Her "concern over job security" made her apply for the position.
In January this year, she got a call from UPSRTC's Kanpur centre and underwent comprehensive training from February to May. For further on-the-job training, she went to Kaushambi in September and is now deployed as an assistant driver there.
"My experience as a truck driver came in handy and gave me an edge over others. I am currently being assigned short -distance routes. So far, I have driven to Lucknow, Meerut, Bareilly, Dehradun and Rishikesh. I am only paid Rs 6,000 per month right now but I'm expecting a raise once I start driving to long distance destinations," she said, while on a trip to Meerut.
Assistant regional manager, UPSRTC Kaushambi, Shiv Balak, said, "Priyanka is among the first batch of 30 women selected under pink bus services scheme for the UP roadways. She completed her first phase of training in Kanpur and is undergoing on-the-job training that will go on till March."
Attributing her success to her children, Priyanka said, "When I lost my husband, little did I know that I would embark on such an arduous journey and one day, create history. Driving heavy vehicles is not an easy task for women, especially in terms of safety. But my sons were my motivating force and they continue to be. Quality education and decent livelihood is all that I want for them "