Coimbatore's first woman bus driver quits following row over ticketing MP Kanimozhi

Coimbatore (TN): The city's first woman driver, Sharmila on Friday quit her job over a controversy surrounding issuing of bus ticket to DMK MP Kanimozhi who preferred to travel in the vehicle with the youngster behind the wheel. Sharmila alleged Kanimozhi was 'disrespected' by a woman conductor over carrying a ticket although the DMK MP bought one.

The issue seemed to be over tickets for those accompanying Kanimozhi.

Barely minutes after the DMK Parliamentarian took a ride from Gandhipuram to Peelamedu in the city, Sharmila said she had to give up her "dream job" allegedly after her colleague disrespected Kanimozhi and also because her management accused her of seeking publicity by inviting prominent personalities to travel in the bus.

"As promised, Kanimozhi madam had come to travel in the bus in which I was driving. But the conductor had asked the MP to buy the ticket and this led to an argument between me and the conductor," Sharmila told reporters.

She claimed she had intimated her management about the proposed visit of the MP but she could not digest the "disrespect" meted out to the DMK leader.

When she and her father took up the issue with the management she was accused of seeking publicity by inviting prominent personalities to travel in her bus, Sharmila, aged 24, who became popular as the city's first woman bus driver, said. Several of her videos had gone viral on social media.

She said BJP legislator Vanathi Srinivasan too had earlier travelled in her bus.

The transport owner Durai Kannan however denied being informed about Kanimozhi's visit today.

"Had we been intimated, we would have made proper arrangements for the MP," he told reporters here.

Also, he refuted a charge that the management forced Sharmila to quit the job and said that she left on her own accord.

Earlier, Kanimozhi who arrived in the city to participate in a meeting on cyber crimes against women, lauded Sharmila for her efforts in becoming a bus driver.