Women learning scuti driving to ease movement in city

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DHAKA, Sept 15, 2018 (BSS)- Anamika Mishri works at a private firm in city’s Farmgate area. She lives at Mirpur-1 with her family. Every day, she faces serious problems to get a transport to go to her office.

“I don’t feel safe in public transports. Besides, it is very tough to travel in the office time in the morning. There is the same problem in the evening after my office time. It’s really very difficult to travel by public busses. Therefore, now I’m learning to drive scuti (motor scooter). I think this is safer,” said Anamika.

Anamika is learning scuti driving at a new driving school for women in the city.

Another trainee Razia Khatun’s story is also the same. She said, “I have to go to my office from Mirpur-11 to Mohammadpur. I’m working at a private university. In the morning, it is too much hard to get on a public bus. It is also tough to manage a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in the office time.”

“Therefore, with the consent of my husband, I have decided to learn driving. After learning to drive, I will buy a scuti,” she added.

For the independent women like Anamika and Razia, Atika Roma, a small entrepreneur, started a driving school named ‘Jabo Bahudur’ (Will go far away). The school began its journey on April 1 this year (2018).

She is running the driving school along with her three male co-trainers.

Roma said she used to work at a private organization in 2009. “Then I faced many problems in transports. At one stage, I started to drive scuti. Later, I thought that I need do something for myself as well as other women so that they can easily move from one place to another.”

“Now I’m running the training school in order that the women can move independently in the city. I think scuti can ease the movement of women” she added.

Roma said a total of 32 women have got enrolled for training in the first phase. The trainees include doctors, service holders, businesswomen, entrepreneurs and students.

Roma said the trainers teach technical issues in the classroom on six days every week while they train in the field once a week. She runs the training at the open area in Nabisco area, she added..

After completion of the training, the women get cooperation to obtain licenses and other documents.

Another trainee Mahfuza Khanam, a housewife, said, “Actually, I want to learn the scuti driving for my children. They are students of Monipur School located in Mirpur. But we live at Kalshi area.”

“It’s too hard to get a transport in the morning. And almost every day, we reach school late. My husband suggested me to take training of driving scuti. I’ll buy a scuti in the next month,” she added.