Sophie Njie Ewokolo : Meet Female Taxi Driver

There are several taxi drivers in the city of Buea but Sophie Njie Ewokolo as per her gender, stands out. She is one of the few ladies making a living by being a taxi driver. At the moment, the town of Buea counts just two female taxi drivers. Describing the business as lucrative, the Buea-based female taxi driver said she ventured into the business after about two failed attempts in a “fuel” business, something which she acknowledges is not legal.  
When contacted by Cameroon Tribune, Sophie Ewokolo said she has been driving a taxi for a year and two months now. To her, she does not plan on leaving the business anytime soon given that it is helping her to clear off some debts incurred in her first business. “Things were really difficult from the beginning as people were afraid of getting into my taxi. They thought maybe I was an agent who will drive them to an unknown destination and extort them,” she narrates the beginning of her journey as a female taxi driver. Sophie Ewokolo further states that things have changed into her favour. “In fact, everything is on my side now. My male colleagues treat me so well and are always very nice to me. Even the police and other security officers encourage me when they see me on the highway. Some passengers pay more than the fare when they arrive their destination as a way of encouraging me,” she said. The female taxi driver notes that she starts working between 5:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., and could take a break at 12 noon or any other time in the afternoon to pick up her children from school and will finally close for the day between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Asked of how her family and friends reacted to her d...