ENCOUNTER WITH POLYTECHNIC GRADUATE TURNS FIRST FEMALE TAXI DRIVER IN ABEOKUTA

‘I was initially selling fairly used clothes in a shop which is a stone throw to our house, located in Ile Ise Awo on Abeokuta-Lagos Express way. I also own a Mitsubishi car, which I also used as a mobile shop, but when the sales was not coming, I woke up one day and thought of converting the car into a taxi cab and engage in taxing’, she stated

The mother of two, who is a voluntary worker in her church, Rock Foundation Church, Tekobo, Idi-Aba area of Abeokuta, said she told her husband about her thought of becoming a taxi driver, but the hubby was opposed to it, under the excuse that, she may face hurdles from the men in the trade, as well as tough officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), among other nauseating challenges.

She added further, at this ‘cross road’, she contacted her Pastor, Mrs Kemi Amosun to sought spiritual advice over her new proposal to becoming a taxi driver, adding that after prayers and counseling, the pastor encouraged her to go ahead, adding that with that her husband consented.

The Abeokuta born woman disclosed that, she started commercial taxi journey in 2016 after painting her car to taxi colour. She said, fortunately for her, even before the thought of becoming a taxi driver, her husband mechanic had trained her on how to drive, adding that when she was to start the taxing job, it was not difficult for her.

‘From onset, I love driving, I enjoy driving and I have passion for driving. The mechanic of my husband  had earlier  trained me how to drive, so when I ventured into commercial taxi job, I didn’t find it difficult at all’, she emphasized

She said, at a point of the job, many passengers were scared to patronize her, because they saw it as odd, for her to be engaged in such, but with time when she became ubitiquos  in the town,that contrary opinion of passengers were no more there.

The mother of two also shared her experience from some male ‘naught’ passengers who made love advances to her, but explained that, she always exhibited maturity in handling them, to avoid conflict. She said many of them having boarded her taxi, will deliberately stayed as last passenger to disembark, to pave way to ‘toast’ her, explaining that she uses wisdom to handle such characters.

She said, one of them got to her nerves one day, that she has to force him out of the cab, having declared to him that, she would drive him to the police station to report him, adding that it was at that stage, the male passenger disembarked from the cab.

On challenges from National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW),or their officials on the road, she said, they have been friendly with her, and didn’t harass or intimidate her on any form, rather where and whenever  she has challenges, particularly on mechanical faults, they come to her aid.

She recalled that sometime ago, when her cab had a punctured tyre, and was busy trying to change it, when some officials of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), saw her, immediately came to her aid.

The woman said, she woke up 4.00am daily to prepare children for the school, and also hit the road early in the morning to start business of the day, adding that she is used to the task, and has no regret venturing into the trade. The kids are in Primary 1 and Nursery 1 respectively.

But she added that, her target is to drive taxi cab for three years and call it quit thereafter, just as she encouraged the younger generation not to see white collar job as a must ,and also tasked women folk to stop relegating themselves into any trade, stressing that it was a wrong notion to ascribed any trade for men.