Latest news with #VSaritha
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
V Saritha becomes TGSRTC's first woman driver
HYDERABAD: In a landmark step for women's empowerment, 39-year-old V Saritha from Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district has become the first woman driver for the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC). Appointed through JBM Group, she now drives an electric bus on the Hyderabad–Miryalaguda route. Hailing from Seethya tanda in Sansthan Narayanpur mandal, Saritha's journey has been one of resilience. In 2004, driven by the need to support her ageing parents, four sisters and a brother, she began driving an auto-rickshaw. 'I drove an auto for over six years to care for my parents,' she told TNIE. Determined to upgrade her skills, Saritha obtained a heavy vehicle licence and, with help from the Azad Foundation, moved to New Delhi. There, she learned Hindi and mastered the city's roads while working as a cab driver. In 2015, she became the first woman selected as a driver for the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) from a batch of 15 women. She drove 120–160 km daily and worked with the DTC for nearly a decade. In May 2025, she returned to Telangana to care for her ailing parents. 'Though I was working in Delhi, my heart was always at home,' she said. Saritha had first appealed for a job with TGSRTC in 2017, when she met then transport minister P Mahender Reddy. Encouraged by his support, she continued working in Delhi while awaiting an opportunity.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Indian Express
She started driving an auto at 18, now she's Telangana RTC's first woman bus driver
Telangana's Road Transport Corporation has got its first woman driver, albeit on a contract basis. En route to Miryalaguda in Nalgonda district from Hyderabad, V Saritha, the first woman to drive a bus for the TGSRTC, told The Indian Express, 'I did not become a driver out of passion for driving. I became a driver because I wanted to provide for my family.' Saritha, 38, is a tribal woman whose family of three is dependent on her. 'I first started out as an auto driver on the Narayanpur-Chotuppal route in 2004,' she said. She was just 18 at the time. 'I am the only daughter of my parents, who were daily wage labourers. I had to leave school and take up a job because they could not make ends meet,' she said. She has studied up to class 10. Her younger brother was not born when she started working. Saritha then met someone from an NGO in Delhi. 'I was told that in Delhi, I would get a driving job from which I would not be removed. She said it would be permanent,' Saritha recalled. She moved to Delhi in 2011 and started driving an auto in the national capital. Wanting to improve her standard of living, she then got a heavy vehicle licence. 'I realised that there is more money in driving heavy vehicles and decided to take a heavy vehicle licence,' she said. By 2015, she was driving as a contract bus driver in the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). 'I did not get a permanent job, but used to earn about Rs 30,000 per month. But Delhi is an expensive city,' she said. She spent most of her earnings on accommodation and food. 'I also had to send money home. I managed to save very little — next to nothing,' she said. She worked for 10 years in Delhi. 'I kept going, driving through the busy streets of the capital. The government was supportive, though they did not give me a permanent job,' she said. 'I will have to try to become permanent all over again. Besides, I wanted to be close to my parents who live in Hyderabad,' Saritha said on her decision to move back to her home state. It has been only two months since she moved to Hyderabad and she has already landed a job. JBM Electric Vehicles, which runs 500 buses in a contract with TGSRTC, employed her. 'The government has been very proactive in trying to accommodate me. The government decided to offer me a contract job first. They will surely consider me for a permanent post once I get used to the Telangana roads,' Saritha said. When contacted, TGSRTC officials said no decision had yet been taken on when the fleet would be able to accommodate Saritha on a permanent basis. 'My mom cannot walk because she suffered a fracture to her hip two years ago. I want to be with her and take care of her. I hope I get a permanent job soon,' Saritha said.
