Breaking gender barriers: Meet 24-year-old Pratiksha Das, Mumbai's first woman bus driver

Mumbai, July 11: India's Financial capital Mumbai has got its first woman bus driver. The concept of heavy vehicles like buses and trucks which are often considered as men's zone has been proved wrong by some badass women.

Thanks to women like Pratiksha Das, gender stereotypes are being challenged and broken, every single day.

Pratiksha Das is probably the only woman in the maximum city, who can navigate her way through pothole filled roads, very gracefully on a BEST public bus.

The 24-year-old just completed her mechanical engineering degree from Thakur College in Malad and is the only female BEST driver in the city. According to a statement by BEST official, she learnt driving at BEST training school.

According to a report by TOI, Pratiksha wanted to become a Regional Transport Office (RTO) officer which required her to be able to drive heavy vehicles. Soon she found herself learning how to drive a bus from a BEST trainer at Goregaon Bus Depot.

However, it was very challenging for Pratiksha as her trainers were tensed about whether she will be able to drive a bus. They kept saying, 'Yeh ladki Chala Paaygi Ke Nahi?'

Her training was later scheduled for 30-days starting from basic to advance levels.

On her first day, Pratiksha just had to roll the bus on first gear within the bus depot without halting. They were impressed when she was able to do it without difficulty. On her second day, she was driving the bus on the Eastern Express Highway for 16kms!

Now, Pratiksha's next plan is to learn how to fly an aeroplane! She is saving money to join the flying school in Mumbai. She also plans to learn interstate luxury buses in Bengaluru. The brave driver currently planning on a bike trip to Ladakh.