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Howrah woman becomes bus conductor to fulfill late father's dream

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Operating along route 57 between Belgachia and Howrah, 59-year-old Dolly Rana took over fare collection duties at age 54 following staff departures and pandemic losses. She learned the trade directly on the job, enduring physical fatigue, passenger skepticism, and rising maintenance costs while initially storing fares in the folds of her sari. Her enterprise recently gained vital operational relief after public coverage prompted the state bus secretary to personally approve her new route permit, mitigating pressure from rival electric rickshaws.

Key points

  • Stepping directly into bus operations allowed Dolly Rana to keep her family transport ven…: Stepping directly into bus operations allowed Dolly Rana to keep her family transport venture afloat despite severe financial hardships.
  • Rising maintenance costs and intense competition from electric rickshaws created signific…: Rising maintenance costs and intense competition from electric rickshaws created significant operational hurdles along her original route.
  • The newly approved route permit provides crucial commercial stability by shielding the bu…: The newly approved route permit provides crucial commercial stability by shielding the bus business from direct e-rickshaw competition.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

At 59, when many people might be thinking about slowing down, Dolly Rana is doing the opposite. Every morning in Howrah, West Bengal, she steps onto a bus, ticket bag slung over her shoulder, and calls out stops to passengers. But for Rana, this is not simply a job. It is a promise she made to her father. Her journey is a reminder that some dreams never fade, even when life takes unexpected turns and years go by.

A daughter’s journey to fulfil her father’s dream

Rana’s father had always wanted to own a bus and enter the transport business. After his death, she decided to turn that long-held family dream into reality. In 2017, she took loans and bought a bus of her own. Initially, she hired a driver and conductor and managed the business herself. It was a significant financial commitment, but one she was willing to take for the dream her father had left behind.

Then came the pandemic. Like much of the transport sector, Rana’s business was badly affected. When her conductor eventually quit in 2021…

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