Taxi driving is considered a job for men, so, whenever one sees a female taxi driver it is always intriguing, especially here in Nigeria where every road infraction gets the irate response: “Why are you driving like a woman?” However, women are not letting such sentiments deter them.
ASIAN NKUTT spoke to Olubunmi Issac, a female driver, popularly known as ‘ Uber Princess ’ who drives on Uber and Taxify platforms. She shares her experiences.
How did you get into Uber driving?
After I left my 9-5 job, I tried to raise capital to start up trading but funds weren’t forthcoming. A friend then advised me to sell my car to raise the capital I needed but I thought to myself, why sell the car when it can actually generate income for me? I went and did the registration for Uber and Taxify and began to drive. I started driving full time initially but now I only drive part time because I have other businesses I run on the side. I worked as a customer care representative in a bank for five years. I studied Banking and Finance at the Lagos State University.
What was your driving experience before you joined Uber and Taxify?
I had been driving for five years before going commercial and I have been on Uber for 10 months. All my driving though has been within Lagos. I love driving, so, it wasn’t a problem for me to decide to drive people as a job.
What has been your experience? Is the money better than that of the 9-5 job?
I rarely meet irate riders and when I do I handle the situation professionally to avoid insults and degradation. For the most part, the money is good.
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How do people react when they see a female driver?
Mostly riders are always excited to see a female driving an Uber. I’ve only had a few cases where riders were not pleased. This actually happens especially with female riders.
What of the men, I’m sure they make advances. What do you do?
Yes, men usually throw passes at me but I avoid them. I was advised never to mix work with pleasure; it usually doesn’t end well.
Who appreciates you more – the men or the women?
I would say both actually.
Do you ever feel unsafe driving a guy or group of guys at night?
Not really. I always feel safe and usually have nothing to worry about. On a particular night though around 7 p.m., I took a trip from Jibowu carrying about four young men in their late 20s who were headed towards Ikorodu. That was about the only time I felt unsafe driving an e-taxi, but I was happy the ride ended on a good note.
What has been the craziest thing that has happened to you on this journey?
There was a time I spent almost four hours in traffic between Lagos Island and Ilupeju. I cried that day! I wished I could have left the car and the rider and taken a bike home. It was so frustrating.
How long do you see yourself doing this?
I would have loved to do this job till eternity, however it cannot make me as rich as Dangote or Bill Gates. I will keep channeling my resources towards other businesses as life unfolds. I have a blog called Uber Princess where I write about my daily experiences and speak for other drivers as well. Through it I also document my experiences for readers as well.
