Bulandshahr: Ved Kumari often catches people’s attention as she confidently handles the steering of a bus on the Kaushambi to Budaun route for UP Roadways. Her husband, Mukesh Prajapati works as the conductor of the same bus, issuing tickets to passengers. Growing up, Ved Kumari aspired to get into police forces; however, she had to give up on her dreams due to financial constraints. 

Who is Ved Kumari?

Ved Kumari was born in Diggi, Bulandshahr. Her father was a teacher and had two wives. After the demise of her father, Ved and her six siblings were raised by two mothers. She was married off when she was in class 10 and her supportive in-laws allowed her to pursue higher education. She earned a graduate degree in Sanskrit. 

Journey to becoming a bus driver

When the UP Roadways released vacancies in 2021, Ved Kumari applied for it and got in. Subsequently, she received the support of the Skill Development Mission and the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation. She enrolled in the Model Driving Training and Research Institute, Kanpur. After seven months of training, she became proficient driver. 

Working together with her husband

Ved Kumari shares that her husband has been in the working with the UP Roadways since 2006. When Ved found employment as a bus driver, she was initially assigned to the Loni depot. However, she requested the department to be placed on the same bus as her husband for easy commute. Fortunately, the officials granted her request, and today, she and husband work together. 

Managing responsibilities

Along with being a bus driver, Ved Kumari is a wife, daughter-in-law, and a mother. She carries multiple responsibilities on her shoulders. Her schedule sometimes requires her to sleep in the bus, especially when returning late at night from Budaun. She sleeps in the bus for those hours and goes home in the morning. Upon returning, she prepares food for her children, ensures they go to school, takes some rest, and then heads back to work. 

Working on low salaries

Ved Kumari mentions that she and her husband are still working on contractual basis. She makes Rs 6000 as a bus driver, which is insufficient to cover all the household expenses. Despite all the hard work and late working hours, the two don’t receive a decent salary. Currently, she hopes for the government to grant her permanent employment with an increased salary.