Women in the transport sector, a traditionally male-dominated industry, have been celebrated in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, to mark the end of Women’s Month.

The event was organised by one of the province’s major bus companies, Buscor. Among those who attended the event were female bus drivers, instructors, mechanics, and dispatchers.

A female bus driver told us, “I’m driving that bus and I feel great. I have got the power to drive that bus. Other men are scared to drive that bus, but we feel good driving that bus.”

A female tyre supervisor adds, “I really enjoy working there as a tyre supervisor. Every woman can be exposed to what I’m doing.”

An instructor describes her role as mentoring, “especially the ladies, who are so scared to drive a big thing. As an instructor, as a mentor, you’re supposed to give her that confidence so she can drive because she’s not going to transport goods, she’s going to transport people.”

Buscor Executive Chairperson, Dr Norah Fakude has called on different transport companies to consider employing women in key positions, “people don’t realise 51 percent of our passengers, or even more, are women. And you can’t then put them in somebody else’s hands. They are going to work in eMakhishini, and then you say somebody else must drive them. We forget about the skills women have; we think it’s women who can’t drive buses. I want to encourage other bus companies to employ and train women.”