Meet Pooja Devi – the first woman passenger bus driver in Jammu and Kashmir

Pooja Devi shared how she struggled to become a bus drive and the resistance which she faced from the family and society in realising her dream. The woman in her thirties said that she learned truck driving from her maternal uncle Rajinder Singh.

Jammu: Pooja Devi, a middle-aged woman from the Kathua district has become the first woman bus driver in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Mother of three children, Pooja Devi ferried passengers on the Jammu-Kathua route for the first time on Thursday. Her son accompanied her as she drove the passenger bus on the Jammu-Kathua route.

Soon, the pictures of the lady ferrying the bus passengers went viral on the social media platforms where she was hailed for breaking the gender barrier by the netizens.

Speaking to a TV news channel, Pooja Devi said that she always wanted to become a bus driver. She also regretted that she could not receive a proper education since she came from a poor family.

She also shared how she struggled to become a bus drive and the resistance which she faced from the family and society in realising her dream. The woman in her thirties said that she learned truck driving from her maternal uncle Rajinder Singh.

She later applied for a license for driving heavy vehicles.

Several top politicians, including Union Minister Jitendra Singh, shared her picture on Twitter and wrote, "Proud to have from district Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir, the first woman bus driver Pooja Devi".

Proud to have from district #Kathua, #JammuAndKashmir, the first women bus driver Pooja Devi. pic.twitter.com/7wTMa272kC

— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) December 25, 2020

Interestingly, male drivers from her area also appreciated her decision to take up driving as a profession.