The Government of the United Arab Emirates has always promoted equality between men and women by breaking all the shackles of stereotypes that were prevalent in Middle Eastern countries. It has undertaken every possible measure that can work for the upliftment of women so far. It is evident from the state of affairs which exists in the country.
The roads and Transport Authority of Dubai have authorized women to run the internal City buses. It has also employed three women drivers to drive the double-decker buses within the city. It has been a proud moment for the country as a whole as women now enjoy equal representation in all sectors of the economy.
Three women have been given the charge to drive double-decker buses across the city so far
This initiative was launched in 2020 and all the women drivers employed by the department since then have been trained to run different modes of public transportation in Dubai. It is a major boost to the career of these women as the buses they drive are massive.
Initially, when they were employed, they were given the responsibility to run across shorter routes, but as and when their experience increased they were handed over the responsibility to drive over long distances. The women drivers are proud of themselves and Express their gratitude towards the government for providing them with the valuable opportunity to serve the public of Dubai.
The Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai appointed these women in 2020 for internal bus routes. Marygoldcez Carolino Diwa De Castro who is 36 years old, and Ailen Pueto Leaño Francisco who is 46 years old migrated to Dubai from the Philippines. They had experience to drive and hence, they applied for the position when the jobs were posted.
They were eventually successful in their interview. The third one is Gladys Jepkemoi Kiprotich. She belongs to Kenya. At the age of 37, Gladys feels content with her job of being a driver for the city buses. Out of the total selections of 15 women drivers, these three have been exceptional in terms of performance and accountability.
In 2020, they had the responsibility to drive the metro feeder buses for a limited period. But in 2021 they were given the charge to run over longer distances such as Route 22 which runs from Deira City Centre to Al Nahda, Route 53 which extends from the International City to Gold Souq; Route 55 which is from the international City to Satwa, and Al Warsan to Al Nahda 1 route.
After providing them with proper training it was on 23rd march 2023 that these women were given the responsibility to drive the massive double-decker buses. These women drivers now have the responsibility to commute with 120 passengers in a single trip.
It was challenging for them to accept this responsibility but now they completely enjoy their job. One of these women drivers in a recent interview acknowledged that such an accomplishment has set an example before the world that women are no less than men.
These women drivers can recall multiple instances wherein the passengers felt extremely proud of them. Ailen recently shared her experience in an interview. She stated that many passengers congratulated them for their achievements.
She also said that a woman in her bus started jumping with joy that the bus was being driven by a woman driver. She went ahead to state that this role is dominated by men and finding a female driver in such a position comes as a surprise to many.
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The other two women drivers also expressed their satisfaction with working as a driver. They said that their caring attitudes as mothers reflect when they drive the buses.
They want their passengers to be safe and sound and that is why they discharge their duties very seriously.
According to the results of a recent initiative undertaken by the Road Safety Organisation of the UAE, it was discovered that female drivers drive vehicles safely. They have not been involved so much in accidents as the male drivers have been involved in.
All of these efforts help to achieve the objective of the roads and Transport authority to achieve gender equality by empowering women to take up difficult positions.
The female drivers not only earn their income and become self-reliant with the help of this job but also they earn respect in their families and Society. They inspire every woman in the world and act as a role model to many. All of this is possible due to the efforts of the government so far.