State starts training women in driving, plans on to tie-up with cab aggregators
kolkata: Working women concerned about their safety while returning home late at night in cabs after their work can heave a sigh of relief. State Urban Development Agency (SUDA) under the aegis of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs (UD&MA) Department has started specialised training programs for women in driving with the aim to make them self reliant.
SUDA has also taken another significant training module to churn out women food process entrepreneurs through three months handholding and also providing business.
"It has been witnessed that working women who have to return home late at night after finishing their work are often apprehensive of boarding cabs or pool cars that are driven by male drivers. They tend to suffer from a sense of insecurity. So, we have started specialised driving training for women in urban areas. We are also arranging tie-up with the cab aggregators so that after successful completion of training and getting licence they get the opportunity to work as cab drivers," Addl. Director, SUDA & Addl. Mission Director, WBSULM (West Bengal Urban Livelihood Mission) , Shaon Sen said.
The idea of this women driving module is the brainchild of Khalil Ahmed, the Principal Secretary of the UD&MA Department.
SUDA has identified 33 urban local bodies for this unique training program that covers Kolkata, Bidhannagar, Howrah, Naihati, Chandannagore, Durgapur, etc. Similar initiative has also been taken in the hills like Darjeeling, Kurseong and also in Siliguri, Jalpaiguri.
As per agreement, the training partners will arrange for commercial driving license after a period of one year since inception of the training and will also provide the first installment of the 2 lakh accidental insurance which will come into effect from the start of the training process. It has been found that particularly during the Covid period a number of women have come forward to support their respective families by food home delivery services. SUDA is providing these women specialized cooking training and at the same time enrolling them with noted food delivery apps so that they get necessary business support.
