Driving ‘kowope’ minibus is lucrative, but we suffer harassment – Female drivers

Driving in Lagos is chaotic and not for the faint-hearted. The roads are congested with one drama or the other at almost every junction. However, there are women defying the stress of driving in Lagos traffic to fend for their families. These women are driving the seven-passenger minibus popularly known as “kowope” or “korope”, which […]

Driving in Lagos is chaotic and not for the faint-hearted. The roads are congested with one drama or the other at almost every junction.

However, there are women defying the stress of driving in Lagos traffic to fend for their families. These women are driving the seven-passenger minibus popularly known as “kowope” or “korope”, which is available in every nook and cranny of the state.

One of the female drivers, Bridget Onyemaechi, whose route is from Ogba to Berger on Lagos Mainland, said she took up the job in order to meet her needs and not to depend on anyone.

She said, “I love the job because I always get passengers despite the bullying attitude of our male counterparts.”

Another female driver, Mrs Adenike Oguniyi, whose route is from Ogba to Ikeja, said the economic situation in the country and lack of opportunities made her engage in the occupation despite the hazards involved.

She said, “COVID-19 has made our economy moribund, and doing this as a job is better than sitting at home doing nothing.”

A staff of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Ogba branch, Monsuru Hamzat, said female drivers were better than their male counterparts, especially in terms of abiding by the rules and regulations of the union.

He said, “The male and female drivers pay their dues, but the female drivers are reliable. They abide by rules and regulations.”

A passenger, Olaniyi Temitope, who boarded one of the minibuses going to Agege, said he preferred female drivers because they were trustworthy.