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In focus: Women cabbies ride to success

DUBAI - What men can do women do better? There is no need to flip the coin or even turn back the pages of history, success stories are here at hand.

Female taxi drivers, inducted for the first time by the Dubai Transport Corporation in September 2000, have done the organisation proud by the sheer dedication, safety and sensitivity that they have introduced to an otherwise male-dominated service, prompting the organisation to recruit more women as drivers.

"The demand for female taxi drivers has increased remarkably since its launch and we are keen on recruiting more female taxi drivers and modernising our fleet to meet the rapidly increasing demands of our customers," said Ammar bin Tamim, Manager of Administration, Marketing and Public Relations at Dubai Transport Corporation.

In 2000, the company conducted a survey to evaluate its services at the airport and discovered that a large number of local women as well as tourists "liked" the idea of an exclusively female taxi service that would add to the security of female passengers and their families. Europeans and Arab tourists, in particular, showed a preference for a female driver during long distance journeys.

Seven Arab women, then, defied the choice of a traditional career to join what was billed as the first-ever female taxi service launched by the Corporation.

More than two years down the line, the women have not only won accolades from their employers but also from the passengers that they have ferried.

Not surprising that there are now 27 female taxi drivers - 10 UAE national women and 17 from other nationalities who are based at the Dubai International Airport.

"These women have built impeccable reputation as drivers and we are happy that there have been no major accidents. They are rated the best by female passengers and their families primarily because they are safe and are committed to the traffic rules and regulations. Unaccompanied minors and the physically challenged too feel secure with these drivers since they have been trained specially to deal with such people," Mr Bin Tamim said.

Female taxi drivers have also undergone special training in defensive driving, background in auto mechanics in case of a breakdown, the use of telecommunication system, registering bookings.

And they have also added their own "feminine" touch to the service by acting as tourist guides, stopping over at a pharmacy or even buying a bouquet at the request of the passengers.

Unlike their male counterparts who drive around picking up fares, the women are based in the airport and are also sent to pick up female customers and families who have made advanced bookings.

It has been a year since 26-year-old UAE national Eslah Ahmed joined the Corporation as a taxi driver and there has been no turning back since then.

"I like the job as it is different from the kind of jobs that women generally take up in the UAE. I am proud to be among the 27 female taxi drivers," she enthused, adding that she would like to continue in her job for another three to five years.

Like the nine other UAE national female taxi drivers, Eslah enjoys a much higher salary than the other taxi drivers who are of Sudanese, Egyptian, Yemeni, Iraqi, Syrian, Moroccan, and Filipino nationalities. She takes home a monthly salary of Dh3,200 and enjoys a 10 per cent commission when she reaches a certain target.

"I usually work in the morning shift, which is from 6am to 2pm. It is more convenient for me as I have two young sons, aged six and four, who are in school," she said.

The mid-shift is from 2pm to 10pm, while the evening shift is from 10pm to 6am which is believed to be the busiest shift with the female taxi drivers usually making 13-14 trips.

Ehsan Hassan Abdul Wahab, a 35-year-old Sudanese, a psychology major from Khartoum, decided to work as a taxi driver because she couldn't find a job in her field.

She was employed briefly in the sales department of an advertising company in Sharjah before becoming one of the first five female taxi drivers when the female taxi service was launched in 2000.

Ehsan, who is now a mother of an eight-year-old boy, did not encounter any opposition from her family when she joined the Corporation.

"I enjoy working for a semi-government organisation. We are well-respected by our male colleagues as well as by our female clients and their families."

Thirty-year-old Syrian Sahar Ahmed is also among the seven pioneers in the female taxi service.

A former beautician in a salon in Abu Dhabi and secretary in a Sharjah-based company, Sahar had to undergo an intensive four-month training course which taught her to navigate the roads, deal with customers, police and car trouble, perform basic first-aid and some English lessons.

"Although I've had minor accidents and salary deductions for fines due to overspeeding, I'm satisfied with my job. I get to meet new friends and customers and can go anywhere all the time. I hope to stay in this job for at least five years and open my own beauty salon in Dubai," Sahar said.

Before joining the Corporation in March 2001, Betty Llorin used to work as a lady driver for a local family in Sharjah for 10 years.

"During that time, I also did some household chores and took care of the children. The children had all grown up. So I decided to take up this job which involves shorter working hours," the 39-year-old Filipina said.

Unlike their male counterparts in the airport who work 11 hours a day, the female taxi drivers work for only eight hours. Betty and her compatriots Lina, Connie and Fely (who's married to a UAE national and acquired the nationality) also work as bus attendants from 11.30am to 2.30pm during school days for the Shaikha Latifa School.

"Some passengers look at us with curiosity, while others appreciate us for being able to break stereotypes. Then there are those who are so impatient when we're stuck on traffic, while others are generous with their tips," Betty said.

Thirty-year-old Morrocan, Fatima Al Bashani, is relatively new in the Corporation, having worked as a taxi driver for the past seven months. She said that she opted to be a taxi driver because of a lucrative salary.

"My family in Marakesh does not actually know that I am working in the Corporation. I haven't told anyone, especially my mother, who is likely to discourage me from taking up this job as I am a graduate of Arabic language studies," she said.

Fatima doesn't feel any sense of regret for having applied for the job of a taxi driver.

"There is no harassment in this job and we are respected by everybody, particularly by our valued clients. The only thing which is difficult in this job is the fact that we have to carry heavy luggage at times. Otherwise everything is just fine," she said, echoing the positive sentiments of the others as well.

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