Maryam Fayaz

Getting behind the wheel: One Iranian woman’s story

I've always wanted a profession that no other women around me had ever done.

Growing up, all my toys were some kind of vehicle, “boy toys” as they say. When I got a bit older, I would beg my dad to let me drive. But becoming a professional driver was not really on the cards.

Then everything changed when I met my husband. He was really into cars and got his bus driving licence within a month or two of our marriage.

That got me thinking, ‘why don’t I also get my licence’?

He did warn me that being a bus driver can be challenging. But that didn’t dissuade me.

At first, I looked into becoming a taxi driver. But the taxi association told me that they don’t have any woman taxi drivers. They said, ‘it’s impossible to be a woman taxi driver’. I told them that ‘anything impossible can become possible’. I eventually managed to start working in a taxi agency.

But I kept telling my husband that I want to get my bus licence and join him on the road. Many journeys require two drivers.

I can dare to say that I was the first Iranian woman to get my heavy-duty vehicle licence. It wasn’t easy. They would say to me, “why do you want a heavy-duty vehicle licence?” I always gave them the same response, “because I’m passionate about this profession”.

After two years, I finally started working alongside my husband. But it was quite a culture shock for other road users. They had never seen a woman bus driver. They would say a lot of negative, disheartening things. But I would just ignore them.

I was in love with international transport. I really wanted to see different countries together with my husband. So, after a decade of being bus drivers, we switched to trucking. We couldn’t be happier.

Then something horrible happened. I tragically lost my son and dear daughter-in-law in a car accident. After that, I couldn’t work anymore. I was completely put off by driving.

After a while, I decided to pick myself back up and confront my demons. My son was always very proud of my resilience and dedication. I couldn’t do anything that would hurt his soul. So, I slowly started working again.

Professional driving is not always easy. But it’s a rewarding challenge. I love this profession.

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