Friday, August 24, 2018

Bus ladies

A few months ago, I had the good fortune of being invited to the Women of the World Festival, held in Brisbane this year.

Because it focusses on women – as artists, creators, activists, change-makers, musicians, amateur wall-climbers – it also hires mainly women. It is no longer unusual, of course, to see women hosting and organising events, marketing and managing ticketing counters and so on. However, it is still unusual to find women chauffeurs. What's rare is the sight of a woman driving a mini-bus. What's rarer than that is to board a bus and expect a woman behind the wheel. In Brisbane this year, I had this rare experience.

Around the world, at cultural or artistic events, the people who are driving guests to and fro the venue are often volunteers. They inhabit the city and would like to participate in its cultural life. Perhaps they get a little stipend too, but they are not professional taxi drivers. They are students or aspiring managers or just people who have a bit of spare time on their hands.

Even so, the first time I found a young woman at the wheel of a mini-bus, I was pleasantly surprised and I also thought that she must be an unsual woman. Maybe she has experience handling big vehicles. Then I realised that all the volunteers were women and they were all driving these huge vehicles. So I got talking.

Some of them turned out to be students at one of the local universities. They also had other jobs. None of the ladies I talked to drove big vehicles regularly. This was a new experience for them. They admitted that it looked a bit daunting at first, but also said that they felt confident handling the vehicle after the first day. They were cheerful, besides being good, careful drivers and I couldn't have felt happier or safer out in a strange city than knowing that the bus I was waiting for was being driven by a woman.

Back home, of course, this is not an experience I have had. I did bump into a female auto-rickshaw driver once in Delhi, but that was nearly a decade ago. I take hundreds of rickshaws every month in cities like Delhi and Mumbai but I have never again found a female driver. A few years ago, I found myself in Rohtak, and I spotted a few pink share-rickshaws. Curious, I hired one all by myself. It was driven by a young teenaged boy but a saree-clad matronly woman was seated up front beside him, on the driver's seat.

I asked whether the rickshaw was actually the woman's and she confessed it was given to her under some state scheme, meant to encourage women's employment. The boy was a family member, though, and she said she let him drive it most of the time.

I can't help thinking how different our world would look if, every time we hailed a cab or waited at the bus stop, we wouldn't know whether the hands on the wheel were going to be men or women. What if there was a fifty-fifty chance? And what if women didn't have to announce their presence on the streets by painting everything pink every time they got behind the wheel?


First published here: https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/motoring/getting-behind-the-wheel/article24744774.ece

17 comments:

twinklegarg said...

Thank you so much for sharing this post! Are you looking for a best tour services in India then book this world tour packages swan tours one way at very affordable price. So plan you trip and book here.

Unknown said...

Affordable and fast service.
• Bali family holiday packages
• Bali Tour Packages
• Mauritius holiday packages
• Mauritius tour package
• Hong Kong Tour Packages
• Maldives Tour Packages
• Mauritius honeymoon package
• Singapore Tour Packages

Unknown said...

thanks for sharing information


Maldives holiday Packages

Malaysia Family Packages
Mauritius Tour package

Singapore Trip Packages

Bali family packages
Mauritius holiday Trip

Hong Kong Family package
Hong Kong Tour Packages

nadiyaparaoresort said...

Very nice post. Thanks for sharing content and such nice information for me. I hope you will share some more content about. bus ladies please keeps sharing!

wildlife resort jim corbett

johnson said...


It is imperative that we read blog posts very carefully. I have already done it and find that this post is really amazing.India is safe for tourists. As with travel to any other country in the world, be respectful of local rules and customs, be mindful of your ...tourist’s paradise. Enjoy the culture of the India Apply the tourist visa for India through the online process.It is a mandatory electronic travel authorization for nationals or citizens of countries while visiting Japan for the business purpose to apply for Japan business visa under the government's guidelines.

johnson said...

Very good write-up. I absolutely appreciate this website.Keep writing! Ukraine is a popular destination amongst tourists. Tourism in Ukraine offers a variety of sightseeing and entertainment options so apply visa for Ukraine by valid documents and get the evisa.Ukraine application can be started any time before your planned visit to the Ukraine.Therefore, travelers are advised to apply for their Apply for Ukraine Visa early before their trip.

Unknown said...

Nice and interesting information and informative too.
Here is some good news for investors who want to invest in pakistan.The single entry for Pakistan Business visa application has a 30-day single entry. You can easily apply through Electronic Travel Authorization before your expected date of travel.
The Turkish government is seeking to relax its visa policy for foreign tourists to make it convenient for them to obtain a Turkish visa and make the whole process efficient. Turkey e-Visa is part of this improvement process.

Edison hope said...


I just wanted to thank you very much once again. Thank you for all your work on this website. You can easily apply to the kenya e visa express application system takes just 5 minutes to apply and within 30 minutes evisa kenya online Travel sends to your email.

Deniel Alex said...


What an outstanding post! “I'll be back” (to read more of your content). Thanks… The Air Suvidha Self Declaration Form for India mandatory self-declaration form is forwarded to the airport health organization upon submission. You can fill the form anytime before boarding as there is no cut-off time limit. However, it would be best to fill it as soon as possible. All foreigners who wish to travel to India must have a completed Air Facility Self-Declaration Form and fill it online before departure.

Elvin Brayden said...

One of the most Valuable posts, Loved this post, Lots of good advice here. glad to see the wonderful blog in front of us. The applicant can get a Myanmar visa online, the brief process described on link. I hope you will enjoy the untouch beauty of Myanmar.

sievna clarit said...

Nice article, Thank you for sharing this great article, we appreciate it. Citizens of the United States of America need a visa to travel to India. US citizens can apply online for an Indian tourist visa. With 3 to 5 working days you can get your visa. You can read more details about e visa via our website.

Seian Tosty said...

Superb! Very nice article... Thanks for sharing ... Did You know about the Mobile-First Systems? If you don't know about it, you need to know because it's good for your business, this IT service helps to grow your business, don't forget to check about this.

delvers Allison said...

Hey, thanks for this amazing post. Would love to read more of such blogs. A Moscow visa is required in case you enter Russian Federation for tourism purposes. You can fill Russian visa application form online via our website.

Mohammad Mahtab said...

Bus ladies bring a unique charm to public transportation, embodying strength and resilience as they navigate the bustling city streets. Their warmth and helpfulness make the daily commute a pleasant experience for many. For ecommerce website development company in delhi Visit:- https://www.artattackk.com/

Maria3400 said...

Going through your blog articles, I'm quite taken with your writing method. Saved it to my bookmarks and will definitely be checking back. Kenya offers various visa types including tourist, business, and transit visas. Explore Kenya Visa Types.

Amit Kumar said...

The most reputable matrimonial service for joyful marriages, Telugu Matrimony, has thousands of prospective partners from the Sourashtra group.


sourashtra matrimony

Mohammad Mahtab said...

Great insights! A fresh perspective on NRI matrimonial connections. ๐Ÿ’– For Ecommerce Website Development Company in Delhi Visit:- https://www.artattackk.com/

Tweets by @anniezaidi