The Bihar transport department has recruited six Musahar women as bus drivers for the state's specialized Pink-bus fleet [1].
This recruitment represents a rare professional opportunity for women from the Musahar community, one of India's most marginalized groups. However, the limited number of female drivers suggests a gap between the program's gender-focused goals and its actual implementation.
The Pink-bus initiative was designed to provide safer public transport options for women throughout the state [1]. The program was introduced across six cities [3] and features a fleet of 100 buses [2]. Despite the focus on female empowerment and safety, only six women have been placed as drivers within this fleet [1].
Most of the Pink buses continue to be operated by male drivers. Additionally, the women who were hired are working under the supervision of men [1]. This structure persists approximately one year after the launch of the program, which took place during the 2023-2024 period [1].
The discrepancy between the number of buses and the number of female drivers highlights the challenges of diversifying the transport workforce in the region. While the recruitment of Musahar women is a step toward social inclusion, the reliance on male supervisors and drivers for a women-centric service remains a central feature of the current operation [1].
“The Bihar transport department has recruited six Musahar women as bus drivers.”
The limited recruitment of female drivers for the Pink-bus program indicates that systemic barriers to employment for marginalized women persist in Bihar. While the program provides a visible symbol of safety and inclusion, the continued dominance of male drivers and supervisors suggests that the initiative is currently functioning more as a branding effort than a comprehensive shift in the labor dynamics of the state's transport sector.
