Women drivers join TransJakarta buses

JAKARTA: Three of 12 women recruited to drive busway buses will report to work Thursday, the day the country celebrates the anniversary of the birth of national heroine Kartini on April 21.

"Hopefully, the newly recruited women drivers will help us improve our services to busway passengers," said TransJakarta Busway head Irzal Z. Djamal.

He did not say when the other nine drivers would start working.

Irzal said the women were screened from a total of 23 candidates.

Operational director of busway operator Jakarta Express Trans, Ibnu Sutanto, said seven of the 12 female drivers would undergo additional training to upgrade their driving skills.

All the women would drive busway buses plying the Blok M-Kota route.

Meanwhile, a busway bus has hit a median strip on Jl. Jend. Sudirman in front of the Chase Plaza building in Setiabudi, South Jakarta on Wednesday, causing traffic jams.

No injuries were reported in the incident that occurred at 1:30 p.m.. --JP