Taking what’s still a man’s world by the wheel

Driving a bus is not a vocation that Sri Lankan women favour. Nevertheless, Hewa Halpage Lakshi Sajintha, a 35-year-old mother from Matara took that bold stride into the male- dominated world last year, by taking charge of a bus plying the Southern Expressway route. If you want to catch a glimpse of this courageous woman driver behind the wheel, SP NB 8420 along the Southern Expressway is the number plate to look out for.

Sharing her experience as a female bus driver, Lakshi says that she feels good about what she does.

“The responsibility involved makes this a sacred job. While driving, I always keep in mind that I am responsible for safeguarding 52 lives that travel along with me. This is a decent job for women as much as it is a good source of income. But sadly, in Sri Lanka, women lack opportunities in this field. I am sure there are many women out there who are capable of handling this job and they should be given an opportunity. It is because my brother gave me the chance that I was able to prove my capabilities,” she says.

Despite having two youngsters at home- an eight-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son, Lakshi works every day. Her daily routine begins as early as 2.a.m. on the days she is on the morning roster driving the 3.20 a.m. bus from Matara, transporting commuters to Maharagama by 6.15 a.m.

“The starting time changes as per the time table. Immediately, after I come to Maharagama, I have to drive back with another busload of passengers. When I am done with my morning turn, I return home to attend to the household chores or to pick up my children from school,” Lakshi says.

Depending on the crowds, she gets to do an evening turn as well – driving the bus that reaches Maharagama at 4 p.m. or 8 p.m.

It was purely by chance that Lakshi came by this job.

As a 19 year-old school leaver who did her G.C.E A/L in the Arts Stream with the ambition of becoming a teacher, she had not the slightest intention of taking on such a vocation.

“I used to drive my younger brother and sister to school in my father’s van daily. Later, it became a school service when the children in the neighbourhood tagged along one by one. Later, I bought a small AC bus to transport schoolchildren and ran this service for 11 years till I gave it up in 2011 after I married and had my kids,” recalls Lakshi, the second in a family of four.

The next move for this enterprising young woman was to run a small spare parts shop at her father’s garage until his brother suggested she take over the bus he purchased to be deployed on the Southern Highway.

The heavy vehicle licence she had in hand already was an incentive for her. All she needed was the special passenger transportation licence .

Growing up in an environment where Leyland buses, heavy vehicles and spare parts were part and parcel of her life, such childhood exposure could have dispelled any possible fear she had of manoeuvering a bus, Lakshi says, confessing that, driving a Leyland bus was something that she had yearned to do since her small days.

She remembers well her first journey as bus driver. “My first journey on the Highway was on June 20, 2014. I made it within one and half hours from Matara to Kottawa. To be frank, I was slightly nervous at first, but my brother was with me,” she smiles, no doubt reassured by his presence.

Asked how her family response has been to what many perceive as a man’s job, Lakshi says her parents were not worried as they have seen her running the school service. “Transporting schoolchildren was no easy task. Even my husband knows I am capable of handling this. Still, before I set off from home every single day, he would tell me to travel safely,” she says.

Still, Lakshi always takes a relative with her as the driver assistant – usually her father or brother.

The challenges that come with the job are the same, man or woman driver, but Lakshi is prepared to deal with them – the tyre puncture, or sudden breakdown, as did happen the day before the Presidential election when she was busy transporting crowds back and forth. “I can do the basic fixing. Or I get the assistance of my brother who is very knowledgeable on these things,” she says.

Always willing to stand up for her rights, Lakshi once climbed up a disaster management tower in Matara to stage a sit-in protest to put forth her demands for a proper time table.

“There was a time I was not given a turn, despite reporting to the Matara bus terminal at 3 a.m. Worse still, at times I was kept waiting in Maharagama without having a turn to drive back. In utter desperation, I decided to put forth my demands for a fair deal by launching a protest last November. Afterwards, the authorities took steps to include me in the time table,” she says adding that all that is settled and she is continuing her job without much hassle now.

The response of those who see her behind the wheel is positive, she adds.

“The fellow bus drivers help me out whenever I need a hand to change a flat tyre, to reverse or to park. Passengers speak encouraging words. Some passengers wait for me at the stand to get into my bus. There are foreigners who have given me souvenirs. They tell me how impressed they are to see a lady driver in passenger transportation in Sri Lanka. What makes me happiest is when I have passengers who take a moment to say ‘ Budu saranai’ and bless my journey,” she adds.