New Delhi, April 17 (IANS): Thirty-year-old Vankadarath Saritha was on Friday inducted as the first woman driver of Delhi Transport Corporation here.

Transport minister Gopal Rai lauded Saritha, who belongs to Telangana, for accepting the challenge of driving a bus on the roads of Delhi and complimented DTC officials for their decision.

"The DTC decision is likely to inspire and encourage other women to choose driving as a career," Rai said.

Saritha has been currently posted at Sarojini Nagar depot and will be put on day-time duty at a route in the central part of the city, said the officials.

She was provided all possible help from DTC authorities for obtaining the mandatory public service vehicle badge from the transport department, they added

Applications were invited from women candidates through advertisements published in leading newspapers.

In response to the advertisements, seven applications were received. Five candidates turned up. After scrutiny of their documents, they were found eligible by the screening committee constituted for this purpose.

The five eligible candidates were directed for medical examination by the DTC medical board. Saritha was found medically fit in the examination.

She was then directed to DTC training school for a four-week job training.