Subhadra Bus service for women to roll out in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: In a new intitative to promote the women drivers in public transport, Odisha government is all set to introduce a special bus service named Subhadra Bus in Bhubaneswar.

The bus is exclusively for the women passengers, which will be operated by the women drivers.

In the first phase, 20 women drivers will be leaving for Pune on Saturday to undergo specialised training in operating electric buses. Those women drivers holding valid Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) licences have been selected for advanced professional training in Pune. The selected trainees will depart for Pune by flight today. The woman will be equipped with advanced skills to operate electric buses safely and efficiently before they begin service in Bhubaneswar.

The women drivers will undergo a 14-day advanced training programme in Pune focused on electric bus operations. As part of the training, they will gain hands-on experience driving EV buses in Pune’s traffic conditions. The trainees are scheduled to return on February 17, 2026.

Initially, the trained drivers will operate small or mini EV buses under the Ama Bus service. They will first drive 9-metre buses with a seating capacity of 12 passengers and later after three months they will drive 30 seating capacity bus.