Delhi bus driver removed from duty for ignoring women passengers after CM Kejriwal’s intervention

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday directed action against a bus driver for deliberately not stopping for women passengers at a bus stop and appealed to all drivers to stop buses at designated stops. The action against the bus driver was taken after a video surfaced on social media, which shows a cluster bus driver not stopping for women passengers as they avail the free travel provision.

Expressing concern over the incident, the Chief Minister directed to take action against the bus driver who intentionally did not stop the bus. He directed Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot to take necessary steps to ensure that such incidents do not recur in future, a statement said. He also stressed on the urgent need for sensitization of bus drivers to ensure safety and convenience of all passengers.

Prompt action was taken to resolve the matter within an hour of the incident coming to the notice of the Chief Minister. The bus driver involved in the incident was also immediately removed from duty, the statement said.

In an appeal to bus drivers in Delhi, Kejriwal called for their cooperation and urged them to stop at all designated stops without missing a beat. Acknowledging the important role that bus drivers play in the daily lives of commuters, he stressed the importance of following guidelines and regulations.

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The CM tweeted, “I appeal to my brothers and sisters who operate our buses to stop the bus at the designated bus stand. There have been complaints that some bus drivers do not stop on seeing women. This is not correct.” “

Transport Minister Gehlot called a departmental meeting with the aim of sensitizing bus drivers and other staff members. He also acknowledged previous complaints of buses not stopping in the presence of women, explaining that action could not be taken in such cases as the service department was not under the jurisdiction of the government.

However, having regained control of the services, the government is committed to addressing such issues promptly and effectively, to ensure a positive travel experience for all.

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Gehlot said, “It is confirmed that the bus driver responsible for the incident has been identified and taken off duty pending further investigation. Another driver has been deputed in the same bus. The government strongly condemns such behavior and emphasizes its complete unacceptability.” ,

He appealed to the bus passengers to make videos and share if they see any such irregularities. Gehlot held an important meeting with senior officials of the Transport Department and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to discuss and address the grievances of bus drivers who failed to stop women at bus stops.

Expressing displeasure over these reports, the minister directed the officials to take immediate action to prevent such incidents from happening. He stressed on the importance of sensitizing all bus drivers, conductors and staff to ensure the comfort and convenience of women passengers during travel.

The minister reiterated that in future no woman would face any trouble while traveling in buses, warning that strict action would be taken against any complaints in future. Women in Delhi can avail free bus travel by boarding any government bus from any bus stop where the bus conductor issues them a pink ticket.

Launched in 2019, the scheme has seen remarkable participation, with over 112 crore women using pink passes on Delhi government buses. Presently, Delhi has a fleet of 7,379 buses, which includes both DTC and cluster buses. On an average, these buses carry 4.1 million passengers daily, of which about 31 per cent are women.