Women are no longer behind men in any field—this was evident at 8:00 AM on Friday at the Interstate Bus Stand in Mandi. For the first time, two women served together as driver and conductor on a transport corporation bus. The pairing of driver Seema Thakur and conductor Meenu Sharma left passengers amazed.
Driver Seema Thakur is known as Himachal’s first woman bus driver. After completing her early education at DAV School, she pursued BA from Kotshera College, Shimla, and subsequently obtained an MA degree in English. She began her services as a driver with the Shimla Local Unit in 2016. Currently, Seema works as a driver at the Transport Corporation’s Mandi Bus Depot.
Seema hails from Dudhana village in Arki tehsil of Solan district. Her father was also a bus driver.
For the first time, both women boarded the bus as driver and conductor. The bus departed from the bus stand at 8 AM, reaching Rajgarh village in Balh valley at 8:45 AM, and then returned to Mandi bus stand at 10 AM.
Conductor Meenu Sharma, a resident of Khua Rani area in Lower Samkheter, Mandi town, shared that she has been serving as a conductor for the past two years. On Friday, her duty was assigned to the Rajgarh route, while driver Seema Thakur’s duty was scheduled for the Sakroha route. However, Meenu herself requested the bus stand in-charge to assign Seema’s duty on the Rajgarh route alongside her. The bus stand in-charge accepted the request.
This historic all-women crew demonstrates the growing presence of women in fields traditionally dominated by men. The sight of women confidently handling both driving and ticketing duties challenged conventional gender roles and inspired passengers aboard the bus.
The initiative reflects the progressive steps being taken by the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) in promoting gender diversity in its workforce, while also highlighting the determination of women like Seema and Meenu who are paving the way for others in the transport sector.
