Thiruvananthapuram: Women prisoners get driving licence

Thiruvananthapuram: Giving fresh hopes in their life, seven women prisoners here have successfully acquired light motor vehicle driving skills as part of the new skill development initiative of the prisons department.

The seven inmates of the Attakulangara women’s prison received driving licences at a function on its premises on Wednesday. “It is for the first time in Kerala, perhaps the first time in India, that women prisoners are imparted driving training. So far it was restricted to male prisoners,” said DIG Prisons B. Pradeep.
The driving training was provided with the help of a local driving school. 

Trainer Santosh Kumar, who was honoured on the occasion, said that all the women had shown a keen interest in driving and hence they could acquire the skill within 30 days of training itself. 

“All of them had successfully taken the H-test in the first chance itself,” he said, adding that some were even keen in taking up driving as a profession once their jail term was over. The training was imparted at the roads adjacent to the prison, and two jail officials also used to accompany them for security reasons. They also attended the two-hour road safety awareness programme of the Motor Vehicles department. All of them were aged around 40.

Women’s prison superintendent O.V. Valli said that some women had expressed the desire for learning driving and hence the proposal was forwarded to her higher-ups and got the nod. “Many women prisoners were now showing interest to learn driving,” she said.

IG Prison headquarters H. Gopakumar, who distributed the licences, said that the driving training programme would be extended to more women prisons and any woman prisoner who volunteers for driving training would be imparted the 
training. “We hope that those who get driving licences could take up self-employments as drivers once their jail term ends and thus lead a decent living,” he said.