ITHL hotels to employ women chauffeurs

Road to empowerment

Nineteen-year-old Jyoti, daughter of a labourer, is basking in success after receiving her driving licence and is hopeful that she may become a lady chauffeur one day.

At least four students under economically weaker section category from Women Technical Institute in the capital will be chosen to become lady chauffeurs for hotels under International Travel House Limited (ITHL).

These students received their licences in April this year after completing a three-month programme under the New Delhi Municipal Corporation’s new initiative aimed to make them self employed.

Jyoti said: “After learning driving I have gained a lot of confidence. Now I feel independent. I want to help my family so I look forward to getting selected and becoming a lady chauffeur.”

Another driving course graduate, Geeta whose father is no more, is praying hard to get through.

“If I get through and became a chauffeur, I won’t be dependent on anybody. I want this job desperately as I want to look after  my mother,” said the teenager.

The NDMC has introduced driving as one of the vocational training skills in Women Technical Institute this year. Around 20 girls have already received their driving licences.

“We started the driving learning programme with an aim to make these girl students entrepreneurs. By March 2014 they will be eligible for commercial licence. We would help them get registered as tour operators and get loans to purchase vehicles,” said director of eduction, NDMC, Vidushi Chaturvedi.

Deepika who also aspires to become a lady chauffeur said: “It is a good effort on the part of the NDMC as it gives us the opportunity to stand on our feet. I look forward to getting selected.”

The ITHL is set to hire at least four girls from this batch of 20. “These girls will be deployed with single woman guests, foreigner or Indian. When they will become confident of driving and handling guests, they will be pushed forward to bigger roles,” said an official of International Travel House Limited.

International Travel House Limited is a sister concern of Indian Tourism Corporation.