How a mother of four became a bus driver in Minsk

Photos here and further: abw.by

Ilona Drozd works as a bus driver in Minsk. When the woman started working at Bus Depot No. 5, she had four children aged 4 to 9. She has been working at the depot for about 10 years, her children have grown up — two are already adults, abw.by reports.

Previously, Ilona was a kindergarten teacher, but she decided to change her profession.

"Since childhood, I dreamed of becoming a driver and wanted to drive a bus specifically. First, I got a B category license, drove for two years, and then went to study for D and C categories. It was quite difficult for a woman to get this job back then — many depots I called refused me. Here they gave me a chance, and I am very grateful to the management for that," she shares.

Павялічыць

During her training, Ilona was the only girl in the group, but this did not create difficulties: she passed her exams on the first try. Many women in the profession start with trolleybuses, but she immediately decided for herself: only work on a bus. When she came to the depot, her relationship with the team was good.

When asked how she managed to combine motherhood and work, Ilona replies that they acted according to the situation: sometimes she would pick up/drop off the children, sometimes her husband. The older children helped with the younger ones and generally grew up to be responsible and independent. In addition, until three of her children turned 16, by law, she had an extra day off once a week. Her husband helped pick up the children from kindergarten and school, and her mother and sister always helped too. By the way, Ilona's husband also works in passenger transportation — he drives a route taxi.

"Relatives were initially skeptical about this idea. Everyone tried to dissuade me — firstly, because it's not a woman's profession, and my husband assured me that I wouldn't find a job. But I went and paid the first installment for my studies. And once I paid, I had to study," Ilona recalls.

The woman drives a MAZ-203 — at first there was one vehicle, but over time the fleet was updated, and she was given a new bus. "I also drive a car, but I feel even more confident in a bus. I feel the dimensions perfectly, a car seems too small after a bus," says Ilona.

At first, passengers paid attention to the woman bus driver: they gave a "thumbs up", looked around in surprise. Now there is less attention, but still, a girl behind the wheel of a bus causes a reaction.

"One guy, who looked about 16 years old, even handed me a note through the window with the text 'Thank you for your work!'. I still carry it in my document bag.

If he reads this article, I think he'll be pleased that I kept it," says Ilona.

Павялічыць

***

Women began to be hired as bus drivers in Minsk in 2013. Bus Depot No. 5 was the first to do so. Currently, 26 women work there as bus drivers.

The first woman behind the wheel of a bus in Minsk was Inna Pekhota. She still works at the depot with her husband on the same bus.

With the arrival of women, new organizational procedures appeared at the depot.

"When we assigned drivers to buses, we tried to have a man and a woman in a pair. This is because men are, on average, more technically savvy. During an inspection, a man might notice more nuances: wear of parts, leaks, need for repairs, check the antifreeze level. Although girls also very quickly become excellent at understanding this," notes Vitaly Chernovoky, deputy director of the depot for ideology, personnel, and social work.

The decision to hire women completely justified itself.

"The girls are very disciplined and responsible in their work," says Vitaly Chernovoky.

Initially, male drivers at the depot were skeptical about this idea. Now many, on the contrary, want to work in pairs with girls, as they maintain the equipment no worse, but also create comfort in the bus.

Passengers, according to depot employees, also positively perceive women drivers. Most often, they note a neat, calm driving style.

"If we take, for example, taxi or route taxi drivers who come to work for us, sometimes we have to additionally work on their driving style, making it calmer. Women don't have problems with this from the start."

• 4
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 1