Bhubaneswar: Bringing laurels to Odisha, Dipti Mahapatra, General Manager, Capital Region Urban Transport has received the prestigious global recognition of being one of the fifteen female change makers to be awarded the Electric Women in Transport 2022 by TUMI – Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative. She has won the global recognition for her contribution to promotion of Inclusive Electric Mobility in the Capital Region of Odisha.
The fourth Edition of the Female Change-Makers Transforming Mobility 2022 recognised the best Women performers from across the world in Transport. It identifies women who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of transport. The fourth edition highlights the outstanding women working towards the electrification of mobility.
According to TUMI, “These #ElectricWomen have made some incredible achievements to enhance e-mobility. By bringing their invaluable insights to the table, these women have played a key role on the path to an emissions-free future. Whether their work includes advancing urban planning principles to promote shared mobility, employing women and transgender drivers of electric rickshaws, or researching the next big advancement in electric mobility, these women are role models for the next generation of women in mobility. Supporting them in their fight for gender parity and their mentorship of the next women leaders in e-mobility, we want to honor them and their work toward decarbonizing transport through e-mobility. Only by including women at every step of the way in the transportation transformation will we be able to achieve sustainable mobility systems and an equitable society.”
This international achievement is a recognition to Dipti Mahapatro, who recently introduced the concept of ‘Mo E-Ride’ in Bhubaneswar, an electric rickshaw system that acts as a feeder service to Mo Bus Operations and employs transgender and women drivers.
As General Manager of CRUT, which operates 225 buses under the brand name Mo Bus (non-electric buses), she has undertaken multiple measures related to women’s safety. Her work has been recognized and awarded by the Government of India thrice — every year since CRUT’s inception Under her leadership, these women’s safety measures implemented have included the deployment of more than 40% of women conductors as crews, disaggregated ticketing, enabling Mo Buses with CCTV, strategically locating well-lit bus shelters, equipping state-of-the-art Mo Bus depots with separate toilets for gender groups, as well as training crew on tactful practices of passenger management.
As the Officer on Special Duty at Odisha State Road Transport Corporation, Dipti has been successfully able to create a public transport ecosystem in the capital region of Odisha that is sustainable, accessible, affordable and safe for all.