A?Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus?has become a huge hit among locals of Alappuzha thanks to its conductor and bus driver.
For the passengers on the route in Haripad,?the bus is something totally extraordinary as it?boasts of a music system, CCTV and colourful decorations?inside.?
Behind the soaring popularity of the bus are its two?staffers ¡ª driver Giri Gopinath and conductor Thara, who are a happily married couple. The husband and wife duo obtained permission from the transport department and invested?their own money?to make the bus stand out from the rest of the state carriages.?
The heartwarming video featuring the bus and the couple's story was posted on Facebook by Iype Vallikadan. The clip shows the bus that visibly looks distinct as it consists of six CCTV cameras for passenger safety, emergency switches, a music system for a comfortable journey, an automatic air freshener, decorations and an LED destination board installed in the vehicle.
¡°Initially, we would just clean the bus and decorate the interior. Later, we fixed six CCTV cameras to prevent accidents. They are removed after the day¡¯s service,¡± Gopinath told The New Indian Express.?
The couple has been working together in the Haripad depot for 10 years now. Their work starts every day at 5:30 AM but they wake up by 2 AM for preparations.
¡°Every day we get up at 1.15 AM and reach the depot by 2 AM. Then Giri cleans the bus and our duty starts at 5.50 AM," said Thara.
Even though the couple got married recently, their love affair began more than 20 years ago.?
They two met while working in a private firm in the year 2000. But as their families opposed their wedding, they decided to take things slow and even began preparing for the state Public Service Commission (PSC) examination. Gopinath passed the test in 2007 and Thara did the same three years later.
They ultimately got hitched in 2020 amid the Covid-19 lockdown.
In May,?a 42-year-old?Laxmi Jadhav became the first female driver?of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus.?
Laxmi was appointed to drive between Dharavi bus depot and south Mumbai.
While juggling different odd jobs with transport agencies earlier, she learned to drive luxury cars like BMW and Mercedes.?Laxmi also said she is grateful that she has always?received immense support from her husband.?
Laxmi has two sons who are pursuing engineering and commerce graduate courses.?
Laxmi said she always wanted a stable income and a provident fund to live a comfortable life. After enrolling in Dindoshi depot to learn to drive BEST buses, she received a license in 2019. BEST already?has around 90 women conductors.
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