Mumbai News: From One To 350, Women Drivers Now Steer Mumbai Police Vehicles With Pride

Women have been matching strides with men in every field, and the police force is no exception. While women officers and constables have long been part of Mumbai Police, few imagined that one day they would also be behind the wheel of police vehicles. That changed about ten years ago, when Constable Jyotsna Dangat became the first woman to drive a police vehicle. Today, around 350 women drivers are proudly steering Mumbai Police vehicles across the city.

Shortage of Skilled Drivers
Mumbai Police had been grappling with a shortage of skilled drivers for years. Even as the number of police vehicles at stations and offices kept increasing, recruitment for driver positions had been on hold since 2003. With no designated drivers available, vehicles were often driven by whoever was available.

The Turning Point in 2015

In 2015–16, when the department decided to implement an eight-hour duty shift system, the question arose — could women constables be deployed as drivers? At the time, Constable Jyotsna Dangat, posted at Deonar Police Station and skilled in driving four-wheelers, volunteered. After receiving a government vehicle driving license from the Motor Transport Department, she became Mumbai Police’s first woman driver.

From One to 350 Women Behind the Wheel

Dangat’s entry inspired other women constables to come forward. Several underwent formal driver training and began operating police vehicles. When recruitment for driver positions was finally approved in 2019, the process — delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic — eventually included women drivers as well. What began with just one woman driver has now grown to a proud team of over 350 women.

A Pioneer’s Journey

Jyotsna Dangat, the first woman constable to drive a police vehicle in the city, recalled her early days while speaking to The Free Press Journal. “In 2015, I received my official driving licence from the Motor Transport (MT) Department, becoming the first woman driver in the Mumbai Police. At that time, I was attached to Deonar Police Station, where I first started driving for the department,” said Dangat, who is currently posted at Pant Nagar Police Station.

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She shared that her first assignment as a driver was with the Nirbhaya Squad. “At that time, several women would finish work late at night and struggle to find safe transport home. During those instances, I personally dropped them to their homes in the Nirbhaya vehicle,” she recalled.

Driving the ‘Nirbhaya’ Patrol Vehicles
Currently, Mumbai has 99 police stations, including cyber police stations. Each station has around five vehicles, and on average, three of those are driven by women. With male drivers also being recruited, the workload has eased, allowing women drivers to take on crucial responsibilities such as operating ‘Nirbhaya’ patrol vehicles, dedicated to assisting women and children in distress.