Sharmila, a 24-year-old with roots in Kerala, had hit the headlines recently as she became the first woman bus driver in Coimbatore. The resident of Thiruvalluvar Nagar at Vadavalli in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore has earned many fans in both states after she took up the new job.
Her first trip as a bus driver was on April 1 this year. The ride was from Gandhipuram bus stand in Coimbatore on a private bus on Route No. 20-A which conducts service to Somanur.
The images of the first service itself became viral on social media. Soon, ministers, members of the Parliament, film stars and people from all sections of the society extended their greetings to Sharmila. However, Sharmila was again in the news soon as she lost her job as private bus driver following a spat. Even then, support poured in for her.
Hearing about her predicament, legendary actor Kamal Hassan himself presented a big gift — a new car — to Sharmila. The superstar paid the first instalment of Rs 3 lakh for the Mahindra Marazzo. The ‘puja’ (prayers) for the new vehicle was performed at Mariamman Temple in Mettupalayam.
Visuals of the ‘puja’ also were viral on social media.
She would be using the SUV as a taxi. Sharmila as soon as completing the registration procedures. Her next goal is starting a cab service which operates exclusively with women drivers.
Her maternal home is at Kulappully in Shoranur in Kerala's Palakkad district, which is next to Coimbatore across the Tamil Nadu-Kerala inter-state border. In an interview to this correspondent, Sharmila said that she hopes to attract more women to the driving profession.
Most women are reluctant to turn driving into a career and this situation has to change, she said.
Excerpts from the interview:
The owner of the private bus in which you worked says that you quit following a dispute over appointing a new woman conductor. Some people allege that you demanded a male conductor on your bus, fearing that you wouldn’t attract public attention with a woman conductor on the same bus. Is that true?
I did enter into an argument with the woman conductor. This was because she had the habit of scolding me regularly for no reason at all. Even when driving slowly, she would shout that the bus was fast and that it had hit a pothole. When I was fed up over her taunts, I complained to the bus owner. But, his response shocked me. He told me to quit if I couldn't continue with the job.
Didn’t you abandon your duty midway during a trip, which led to protests?
I got down from the bus after the woman conductor humiliated me very badly in front of Kanimozhi. Member of Parliament. I am sorry for the difficulties caused to the passengers. But, I had contacted the manager over phone and told him that I was leaving the bus and he said that another driver would be arranged to complete the trip. I left the driver’s seat only after confirming that the other driver was stationed nearby.
What really happened on the day you quit?
When I arrived at Gandhipuram bus stand in the morning as usual to take my bus, I saw Kanimozhi, MP, and some party workers there. They boarded my bus and I was surprised. The MP walked to the driver’s seat, patted me on the back and congratulated me. Some people were recording a video of the trip. Meanwhile, the woman conductor approached the MP and asked her to purchase a ticket. I told the conductor not to make the MP buy a ticket, but she didn’t listen to me. I think she was jealous and angry after the MP greeted me. I even told the conductor that I would pay for the tickets of not only the MP but also everyone accompanying her. Again the conductor rejected my request, which pained me deeply. So after the MP alighted, I got down at the very next stop.
Was becoming a driver your childhood dream?
Certainly! I earned a Diploma in Pharmacy after securing good marks in SSLC (Class 10) and Plus Two (Class 12). But, driving has been my passion since childhood. My father is an autorickshaw driver and I started accompanying him since I was in Class 7. This helped me learn driving and by the time I turned 18, I could drive a scooter, bike and car.
At age 19, I also earned a heavy licence and could drive a bus as well as truck. For around a year, I worked as an autorickshaw driver and also drove a school bus. Meanwhile, I came across a news report on a woman driver from Thrissur who worked on a tanker lorry and felt inspired. Many people teased me for trying to secure a heavy licence, but that only strengthened my resolve. But when I approached many private bus companies for the job of a driver after earning a heavy licence, they avoided me. They said that they would contact me later as I was a woman. Later, a very few bus owners allowed me to drive their bus, but only on a single route.
