The Hindu : Karnataka News : The lady has the drive

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Thursday, Jan 20, 2011
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Karnataka

Karnataka

The lady has the drive

Meet Prema Nadappai, BMTC's only woman bus driver

— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Power steering:From a nurse, Prema Ramappa Nadapatti switched jobs to become a government bus driver.

Bangaloreans are now accustomed to women bus conductors issuing tickets, but Prema Ramappa Nadapatti is used to passengers' startled expressions as they board: it is still usual to find a woman behind the wheel of what is a difficult vehicle to drive.

As she waits on the driver's seat, a few commuters still ask her incredulously if she will actually drive the bus. More often than not, it is a chorus of replies from the regulars that greet the question. Yes, she indeed “drives very well”. Sometimes she herself replies in the affirmative, full of calm confidence.

The only woman Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus driver-cum-conductor on the routes so far, Ms. Nadapatti attracts immediate attention from fellow motorists and pedestrians too. By now she's used to find people on two-wheelers pointing at her in amazement.

Amused response

When this reporter took a ride on her bus, a pedestrian crossing the road was so taken aback that he stepped right back on to the road divider. Amused at such reactions, she usually grins but remains unruffled.

Currently, she drives between Nyaya Degula Complex, Siddaiah Road and City Civil Courts Complex, and the bus is usually filled with lawyers. Welcoming with a smile those who wish to board at either starting point, she is also extremely particular about sticking to schedule and departing right on time.

Her job as a BMTC driver commenced on November 25 last year, and since then she has also driven a Big 10 from Brigade Road to Electronics City and another between Shivajinagar Bus Station and K.R. Market.

Her story

Hailing from Gokak in Belgaum district, Ms. Nadapatti said she learnt to drive back home. “Four years ago, after my husband passed away, I worked as a nurse at a private hospital to make ends meet and educate my son. One of the doctors there had a car and taught me to drive,” the 30-year-old told The Hindu. She switched jobs to take up her present one as she wanted a government employment, she added. The fact that there were no other women bus drivers in Bangalore didn't faze a bit.

Driving is second nature to her, she said. “I used to ride a cycle at school and a two-wheeler when I was in college. When I learnt how to drive, I thought why not apply for a job of a bus driver? I know now I made the right choice. I have absolutely nothing to complain with regard to this city, which I have made my home, or the job I have here. And I'd love to drive a Volvo bus if I get a chance.”

However, she admits that driving a big vehicle on crowded roads involves a fair amount of risk. “A moment of distraction can lead to a major accident. The danger of having to weave through the busy roads is very real, and it also makes the whole experience immensely exhilarating.”

CHETANA DIVYA VASUDEV

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