“Aste ladies!” shouts Dolly Rana, punching tickets and slicing through stereotypes on Kolkata’s bus route number 57, as it snakes through the city from Belgachia to Howrah. It’s a phrase conductors commonly call out to make way for women passengers. But when Dolly says it, heads turn. Not just because she’s polite, but because she’s one of the very few women conductors on Kolkata’s overcrowded buses and possibly the only one who owns the vehicle she works on.
At 58, Dolly doesn’t just hand out tickets; she hands out lessons in grit. Dressed in a simple sari, a satchel across her shoulder, she once used her aanchol to collect fare. Dolly hops on and off the bus dozens of times a day, helping commuters, settling squabbles, and maintaining order.
Her journey began with a dream, not just hers, but her father’s as well. “I always wanted to own a bus and get into this business,” she said. In 2017, that dream took wheels when she bought her own bus. She hired a driver and a conductor, managing things from the sidelines. But during the pandemic, business took a hit. With her conductor quitting and losses mounting, Dolly made a bold decision in 2021. She stepped into the role herself.
“I immediately got on the duty without giving it a thought. Back then I did not have a bag, I was collecting money in my sari aanchol,” she recalled. That leap of faith changed everything.
Operating in a space long dominated by men isn’t easy. Dolly often faces scepticism and even mild harassment from passengers who can’t wrap their heads around a woman managing bus fare and discipline. “It is difficult as a woman to do this profession because people still like to believe women are weak,” she said. But that hasn’t stopped her.
From managing rude passengers to resolving fights, Dolly does it all with quiet authority. “I like being in this business, so I am carrying it out firmly,” she said with pride.
Every morning, she wakes up before sunrise, boards the bus at Howrah, and gets to work. By late evening, she’s done dozens of trips. Her bus is her pride and her livelihood. Her story, shared recently in viral videos, has earned her admiration across the country. But back home, she’s still just ‘Dolly-di’ to the regulars, who’ve grown to admire her steady presence and no-nonsense attitude.
