A new era has started in public transportation in İzmir. Metropolitan Mayor Tunç SoyerESHOT General Directorate, which took action after the decision of .

Women drivers, who improved their driving techniques in in-house training activities, managed to get full marks from instructors with their attention and skills.

ESHOT General Directorate, which is the heart of urban public transportation in İzmir, has taken a historical step. Bus driver, which is considered to be among the most difficult professions, is no longer the monopoly of men. Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç SoyerAt the request of ESHOT, female bus driver recruitment started. 17 female bus drivers who passed the exams got back to work. It is aimed that this number will exceed 30 in a short time.

They were eye-catching on the training track

17 female drivers who proved their competence at the bus driver, who were entitled to work, went through a challenging training program before taking office in the city. Like all public transport staff, ESHOT's female drivers have learned how to deal with dangerous situations that they will face using advanced driving techniques under the training program. Driving on wet and slippery grounds, correct maneuvering techniques to avoid sudden obstacles and daily vehicle maintenance are among the training topics. Trainers who have been training male drivers for years are extremely satisfied with the performance of female drivers.

Mayor Soyer: We are breaking down prejudices

The architect of the revolutionary application for ESHOT is the Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. Tunç Soyer. “We aim to break down the prejudices about gender in every aspect of life in this city. Saying that we are starting this in one of the business lines that have become the strongholds of the male-dominated structure, Soyer continued: “Everyone is asking; Can women do this job or not? Yes, not everyone can drive heavy vehicles. It is true that it is a job that requires talent and equipment. But this has nothing to do with gender. Our aim is not to showcase a few people and make them say 'there are women drivers' in İzmir. Then you're doing a show business. I believe that many more female bus drivers will be employed in the future.”

Women drivers who say they live the excitement of serving the people of Izmir believe that they will be successful. Stating that they trust themselves and realize their dreams, female drivers emphasize that men can do everything they do.

Women's drivers in Izmir

Fatma Nihal Buruk: We trust ourselves

“This has been my dream since I was a kid. Passenger buses used to pass in front of our house. I would admire. I said that one day I will use these buses. Thank you mayor Tunç Soyer gave us the opportunity. We will find ourselves on the roads now. Of course, every sector has difficulties, but we are confident in ourselves, we know how to face the difficulties. We live in a patriarchal society, but believe that we will be at the top if women are given the opportunity. We want to change the way passengers view drivers. Everyone supports my mother, father, brother, my wife, who is a long-distance driver, quit her job so that I can make my dream come true.”

Returned Work: Everything started with a claim

“I was a service driver before. I have an 11 year old daughter. My wife is also a bus driver. My daughter said to me one day, “My father is using a bus because he is stronger, you cannot use it. So women are powerless. ” I went to the driving school the next day to show him that women could do it all, and took the E-class driving license exams. Now he says, 'Men and women are equal, women can do anything'. I think that children can learn everything by seeing and living. I did something like this to show this, but I also love driving, being in people. If we can raise a child as a mother, we can also do everything that men do. We are also raising men. ”

Songül Güven: There is no woman in this business

“I was working as an instructor in the driving school. We constantly engage with cars. This profession also appealed to me. We said we can do it and we started this business. There were those who said you couldn't. We started off by saying 'how does the person do it'. We will multiply even more. This man does not have a woman. Everyone's purpose is the same; service. If we want to offer something nice to the people of Izmir, we women should also be involved. There is no such thing as difficult. Let's just ask. ”

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