BEST buses to get women conductors

MUMBAI: For the first time, the BEST will have a group of khaki-clad women conductors on board from March 8, which is celebrated as International Women's Day.
The BEST will, for the first time, have a group of khaki-clad women conductors giving tickets to commuters from the swanky electronic ticketing machines.
The decision has been taken in view of the International Women's Day which falls on March 8.
"We have recruited three women conductors who will initially operate on two routes before being deployed on others," said a senior official, adding that they have already undergone training and have been accompanying other conductors on some buses. "They will start working on routes 353 (Wadala to Tagore Nagar) and 16 (Wadala to Vashi naka)."
A source said the three women had been selected from a list of around 30 candidates who had applied for the post in 2012. TOI had then written about BEST officials interviewing women applicants, most of whom were next of kin of BEST officials who had died in harness. "They are wives and daughters of former BEST employees and are sole breadwinners for the families," said a BEST committee member. A source said they were likely to recruit more women conductors who would be deployed on AC buses.
An official said, "We run more than 50 ladies special services. If more women join as conductors, we will post them there." BEST sources said plans were also afoot to recruit women drivers. Women have already made a mark by driving private taxis (Priyadarshini and Viira Cabs), autorickshaws and also suburban trains. "Its high time we have a woman behind the wheel of a BEST bus,'' said Preeti Sharma Menon of Viira Cabs.
He further stated that the BEST had tried in the past to induct women conductors in the fleet. "In the late '90s, we had a group of seven women shortlisted as conductors on our buses. But this did not work and eventually the women were transferred to other departments as clerical staff,'' the committee member stated.
Meru Cab, the largest fleetcab operator in Mumbai, will celebrate Women's Day with the launch of SMS-based 'Trip Tracker Service'. This service, free of cost to women commuters, will help the relatives or friends of the commuter keep track on the journey. Said Meru CEO Siddhartha Pahwa, "A sms-alert will be sent to relative/friend at the beginning of the trip including the customer name, trip start-time and area where the trip began. There will be regular sms updates every 15 minutes till the end of journey to ensure that the woman passenger is being escorted safely."