Her desire to drive has left her lumbar spine tender

Gripping story of first woman driver of KSRTC bus in city

A woman who enjoys the credit of being the first to step into man’s shoes, is now fretting over the bleak future that is staring at her.

K Ningamma, who took over the steering of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus seven years ago, is not at the wheels, from nearly an year. She was acclaimed as the first in the State to take a driver’s job. She is now working at Kuvempunagar bus depot as a junior assistant akin to clerk at ADM section.

On May 3, 2011, she was operated for mild tenderness over lumbar spine at National Institute for Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans), Bangalore. 

She was restricted to bed for a couple of months, before returning to work, but as a junior assistant in the month of October. 

The doctor who operated on her had clearly advised Ningamma to take up light duty only.

A story worth a plot for potboiler, Ningamma had a tryst with motors since her early age.
It was natural for her with her grandfather and also brother being garage mechanics.

She was secretly nursing her ambition to make it to the driver’s seat one day, after learning the nuances from her kin. In the year 2000, she joined KSRTC as a conductor. 

For two years, she served in Bellary district, before coming down to Chamarajanagar district. 

She was the conductor for long route bus- Gundlupet to Dharmastala.  

Whenever she got time, at the depot, she was taking to driver’s seat. When announcements were made for the posts of driver-cum-conductor, Ningamma was one among many who aspired to give a try. To her surprise, she was selected and also trained before wearing driver’s cap in 2005. She was deployed on route no 85- covering Kuvempunagar bus depot to City Bus Stand (CBS). Pat followed, recognitions and rewards, with several organisations feting her for the feat. 

All was fine till Ningamma accidentally slipped on a day while boarding the vehicle in September 2010. 

Ningamma ignored bruises and went on to manoeuvre the wheels that day. Till what time? She was in the middle of the route, when she felt numbness in her left leg. The effect was such that, applying brakes turned an arduous task for her. 

Ningamma told Deccan Herald: “I rushed to K R Hospital where the doctors advised me to undergo X-ray. 

On the findings of the X-ray, the doctor wanted me to be admitted at the hospital. 

As I was still on duty, I sought permission for some other day, and succeeded in convincing the doctor to prescribe pain killer. However, pain recurred after sometime. The doctor this time advised for MRI scan only to detect mild tenderness over lumber spine.” Says Ningamma in tears- passion for driving and also the system which always derecognises women over men had taken toll on her health. 

She was covering 11 trips in 12 hours duty starting from 7.30 am. She did so for six years, without giving room for any complaints. 

Following doctor’s recommendation, Ningamma was assigned with the light duty for a year from October last. 

Undeterred, she desires to hop on to driver’s cabin again. This time, a Volvo.

Her love for driving is such that, whenever she peeks out of the window, she sees the bus (registration number KA 09 F 4450) parked in the portico. You can call it a miracle or whatever.

It was the same bus she drove till she fell ill. Her conversation with the bus starts...