MANSI BHAMBRI/Dehradun
From managing tickets to handling passengers, women conductors of Uttarakhand Roadways are redefining empowerment. Breaking stereotypes in a male-dominated field, the women conductors are not only performing their duties with dedication but also becoming financially independent. Sharing their experiences, many of them said that the job has made them financially independent and confident, despite initial challenges on duty.
Sharing her experience, Sangeeta Semwal (Dehradun Depot) said that she has been working as a conductor since 2019. She said that the financial condition of the family had prompted her to join the service, but over time she realised the importance of women being financially self-reliant.
She further said that the government has allowed them to represent themselves in this field. Semwal informed that she works from morning till evening on local routes, including Haridwar and Roorkee, with a schedule of one day work and one day rest.
“Since it is a public-facing job, we face challenges like dealing with intoxicated passengers and strangers, but we female conductors manage the situation and the department also supports us,” she said.
Another of them, Godambari Negi (Dehradun Depot), working as a regular (Permanent) conductor for the last 11 years, said that she had got the job on compassionate grounds after her husband’s death.
“I perform duty for 15 days a month on local routes and draw a fixed salary of Rs 47,000.” She said. Expressing gratitude to the authorities for giving them a platform to be financially independent, she said challenges exist in every field, but with experience they have learnt to handle people efficiently.
Further, a contractual conductor from Kashipur Depot, Poonam Sohan Lal said that she performs her duties regularly on local routes like Haridwar and Tanakpur and is paid on a per-kilometre basis.
“Every day is a challenge as we have to deal with different types of people, but I handle it. Representation of women in this field has financially empowered us,” she said.
Other female conductors echoed similar views, saying the number of women conductors on the roadways is gradually increasing with time thanks to the governmental patronage.
