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Odisha Sends First Cohort of Women Bus Drivers for EV Training Ahead of Ama Bus Deployment

The cohort is undergoing a 14-day electric bus operations course at EKKA Mobility in Pune with GIZ support.

Overview

  • CRUT selected 20 women holding Heavy Motor Vehicle licences to join the Ama Bus city service.
  • The group flew from Bhubaneswar on Saturday after a formal send-off by Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra and Transport Secretary Usha Padhee.
  • The programme runs February 2–15 at the OEM facility and focuses on hands-on EV handling, safety protocols, passenger management, and real-world driving in Pune traffic.
  • Trainees are scheduled to return on February 17 before being posted on Bhubaneswar routes.
  • Officials cast the effort as a workforce inclusion and transit expansion push, with additional services such as a Subhadra bus plan under consideration.