Female taxi drivers in Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) -Late nights driving on the highway, meals interrupted midway, even the gossip of outsiders… Yet they always maintain a steady hand on the wheel, befriending the roads despite facing numerous risks. “As a woman entering this profession, you have to accept that there will be many difficulties. You have to love the job to stay,” shared Ms. Hang (43 years old, a Mai Linh taxi driver).

In Nghe An province, Mai Linh Taxi Company is the only taxi company with female drivers. Out of more than 1,300 drivers, there are only four women: Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang, Ms. Hoang Thi Mai, Ms. Tran Thi Giang, and Ms. Hoang Thi Thuong. They work in a profession traditionally considered male, yet they earn the admiration of their male counterparts.

"Grandma" drives a taxi.

Born in 1973,Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang has been a taxi driver for nearly 7 years and is one of the most dedicated employees of Mai Linh One-Member Limited Company. Despite numerous difficulties and prejudices, Ms. Hang consistently generates high revenue for the company.

Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang, a female taxi driver, already has a grandchild.

Previously, Ms. Hang also drove trucks. Since her husband passed away 7 years ago, she switched to driving a taxi and has been doing it ever since. Her children are grown, and she has grandchildren, but she still chooses this profession to dedicate herself to. Ms. Hang can't remember how many kilometers she's traveled or how many long trips she's made to places like Thanh Hoa, Hanoi, and Hue…

Coming to this profession unexpectedly, Ms. Hoang Thi Mai (45 years old) confided: "Before, I learned to drive when my family was still well-off, thinking I would learn to buy a car. But many unfortunate events happened, and because of the need to earn a living, I completely switched to driving a taxi. From the time I started this job until now, no one in my family approved of me doing this. Everyone told me to quit. This is because the profession is inherently risky, especially for women, it's even more complicated."

As for female driver Le Thi Thu Hang, her children have repeatedly asked her to quit, but it seems this profession is "in her blood," so she can't give it up. And among the company's more than 1,300 drivers, Ms. Hang consistently ranks among the top performers. In fact, for many months, she has always been the top-selling driver.

Role models who overcome difficulties

Female driver Hoang Thi Mai.

The nature of the job is quite unique; women in this profession have to accept twice the difficulties compared to men."What can women drive? Let's see how long they last," people whispered about them. Yet, Ms. Hang has been in this profession for over 7 years, while Ms. Giang, Ms. Mai, and Ms. Thuong have been doing it for at least 4 years. Notably, they all say that women in this profession are trusted by customers because they are attentive and careful. But because they are women, they also face many disadvantages.

Ms. Mai recounted an incident where she spent the whole day transporting passengers from Thanh Chuong, only to be cheated out of over 3 million VND in fare money that no one would pay. Despite police intervention, she ultimately had to pay the company out of her own pocket. She explained that because women are physically weaker, many customers use this as an excuse to tease or find fault with them.

Mr. Ho Xuan Viet, Chairman of the Trade Union of Mai Linh Nghe An One-Member Limited Company, said that the recruitment of female drivers is not much different from that of men. The only difference is that the company usually conducts direct visits to the residential areas of female employees to "verify" before recruitment. "This is also to better understand their family background, psychology, and living conditions, and from there, we can give them better attention," Mr. Viet affirmed, adding that although female, these drivers are always exemplary members of the entire unit. "This is because they truly love their work and find joy on the roads they travel," Mr. Viet further shared.

Tra My