This story is from June 9, 2019

Patna: More women at wheel now

Breaking all stereotypes, women are increasingly going behind the wheel and driving responsibly on city roads these days.
Patna: More women at wheel now
A girl drives a car in Rajendra Nagar in Patna
PATNA: Breaking all stereotypes, women are increasingly going behind the wheel and driving responsibly on city roads these days.
As per the data available with the district transport office, out of the 81,258 driving licences issued last year, at least 8,676 were granted to women drivers.
“The number of women applying for driving licences has increased in recent years as they get 50% discount on vehicle registration fees,” Patna district transport officer (DTO) Ajay Kumar Thakur told this newspaper.

Private driving schools also claimed that the number of women learners had gone up. “Almost 10 to 12 girls and women visit us every month. Their number has increased by 50% during the last five years,” said Rajesh Kumar, the owner of a private driving school on Boring Canal Road.
Another driving school owner Vishwajeet Kumar pointed out, “The number of women attending our Rajendra Nagar-based driving school has increased from 0 to 500 in five years. At least 10 women come to us every month as we provide pick-and-drop facility to them.”
The ratio of men and women learners at a driving school on Ashok Rajpath is 50:50. “Large number of women come to our school to learn driving for personal as well as commercial purposes,” director Suraj Kumar said.

While some women drive for fun, it is a necessity for others. Autorickshaw driver Sunita Devi said, “Driving is my only source of income as I am a single mother. Girls, who travel with me, also feel safe.”
Veer Kunwar Singh University teacher Pushpa Sinha has been driving for the last three years. “I learnt driving at a private training school in Chajjubagh,” she said.
Boutique owner Kavita Verma loves going for long drives. She said, “I drive to my boutique on Bailey Road daily. I love it so much that I get behind the wheel, instead of my hubby, when we go on vacations.”
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