Karnataka to set up first state-run women driver training institute at Bidadi

Women will be taught all kinds of vehicle driving, officials said, adding that modalities are yet to be worked out. | Photo credit: Image for representational purposes

As part of an initiative to empower women economically and increase their participation in the transport sector, the Karnataka government has decided to set up a specialized institute for training women drivers in the Bidadi industrial area on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

Announcing the initiative, Transport Minister Byrathi Suresh, while presiding over a meeting with senior officials of the Transport Ministry on Wednesday, said the institute would be the first of its kind to be set up by the state government in the country.

The minister said the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will develop the necessary infrastructure for the institute, including a main building, a dedicated track and other facilities, exclusively for women trainees.

The institute will be set up through a partnership involving the Central Government and the Karnataka Government. Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka (AWAKE), an organization of women entrepreneurs, will be responsible for providing skill-based training programs including professional driver training and other vocational courses aimed at improving employment opportunities for women.

Women will be taught all kinds of vehicle driving, officials said, adding that modalities are yet to be worked out.

Transport Bhavan

During the meeting, the transport ministry also discussed plans to set up a dedicated transport Bhavan for the department. At present, the office of the traffic commissioner is functioning in the BMTC building in Shantinagar on a lease basis.

The minister directed officials to examine the feasibility of constructing the proposed Transport Bhavan on about one acre of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) land in Shantinagar. He instructed them to prepare and submit a proposal for the construction of the building from the department’s own resources, without putting a financial burden on the state administration.

Once completed, the new Traffic Bhavan will house all the offices functioning under the office of the Transport Commissioner, enabling the department to function from a single location.

The minister also directed the officials to immediately start the recruitment process to fill more than 150 vacancies of traffic inspectors along with other vacancies in the regional transport department to strengthen the functioning of the department and improve public service delivery.

Published – 1 July 2026 11:00 PM IST