Some female commercial tricycle riders in Ibadan have said that they ventured into the business to raise their financial status.
The female tricylists narrated their experiences in the male-dominated business in separate interviews in Ibadan on Friday.
Mrs Basirat Lawal, a 33-year-old mother of four, said she ventured into the business because the proceeds from her petty business could no longer cater for her and the children.
Lawal said that in order to give her children the best in life, she decided to get a tricycle on hire purchase.
“I was having issues with my house rent, feeding and paying school fees when I met a man who was into tricycle business. He took me to where I could get it on hire purchase and stood as my guarantor.
“I have been paying the money back for more than a year now, and I’ve almost completed it so that the tricycle can be mine completely,” she said.
Lawal, however, said that as a female tricyclist, she enjoyed some favours.
“I ply Orita-Challenge to Beere daily; this is what I do for a living. Most times, I enjoy ‘pity patronage’, as people board my tricycle because I’m a woman.
“With this favour, I am able to make more trips in everyday, thus making enough money on daily basis,” she said, adding, however, that some of her male colleagues were not happy with this.
Oluwaseun Oke, a 26-year-old graduate of Linguistics from University of Ilorin, said she decided to take up the business due to her failure to secure employment.
Oke said she hated sitting down doing nothing and disliked depending on people to cater for her needs.
“I don’t like to be idle. I derive joy in having things to do. So far, being a female rider has been encouraging and sometimes challenging.
“I discovered that I could be riding tricycle to earn a living, which is quite different from what most women normally do.
“I have been doing this business since 2019. I have always loved riding bikes, and this prompted me to think that I could also ride tricycle.
“My father, who owns the tricycle, didn’t want to agree with me initially because I am a lady. Although, it wasn’t an easy decision for him to allow me do this business, I, however, prevailed on him.
“I ply Tipper Garage-Kuola-Elebu area of Ibadan,” she said.
To Miss Bimbo Adebayo, a 25-year-old fashion designer, she rides with pride to earn enough money to establish her fashion business.
“I’m done learning fashion designing, but I need money to finalise things with my boss and also to set up my own shop,” Adebayo said, adding: “I am an orphan with no one to help me.
“The tricycle is owned by someone I give money to daily, though I have saved some money for myself. I have been doing this business for the past seven months and my target is to do it for a year.
“During the one year, I am hoping I would have saved enough to get me established.
“I won’t lie, this work is really not for women.
“Many of my colleagues will say, ‘fine girl, what are you doing here? Go and do jobs meant for women like you’.
“Initially, I was taking time to explain my situation to them, but not anymore,” she said.
Although Adebayo admitted that there was money in the transportation business, she, however, she, however, said that the risk involved was much. (NAN)