St. John’s, Antigua –Setting an example for others, Samyer Merchant Thomas has become the first woman of Antigua and Barbuda to become a professional tour bus operator, driving a 22-seater coaster bus.
She is now serving cruise ship tourists and has been accepted as a member by the St. John’s Taxi Association.
Samyer Merchant Thomas has successfully made inroads in a profession dominated by males and is sending out a strong message that women, too, can break the so-called gender barriers and earn a respectable income by taking up jobs that are traditionally believed to be dominated by males.
In an interview to a local news channel, Samyer Merchant Thomas shared her experiences and the challenges that she faced to make a niche for herself in the field of travel operators.
“Initially, I used to see surprised faces when people saw me in the driver’s seat. But now I have managed to earn the trust of travelers and also other bus drivers now treat me with respect,” she said in the TV interview.
Antigua and Barbuda have an economy that is dominated by tourism, and by venturing out into this field, Samyer Merchant Thomas has laid out the groundwork for other women to take up the role of a tour bus operator.
Her achievement has inspired many other women who are now looking up to her and planning to take up the job of bus driver. She is not just sustaining her family, but also contributing to the local economy of Antigua and Barbuda.
Earlier, women had not been accepted in the non-traditional professions such as driving, which were considered to be dominated by males, but Samyer Merchant Thomas has shattered this belief.
She has also stood out as an inspiration for other women who have, to date, not considered driving as a suitable career path for themselves.
But as the tourism of Antigua and Barbuda is growing year after year, becoming a professional bus driver is opening up new avenues for young women of Antigua and Barbuda.
Samyer Merchant Thomas said that she had always been passionate about driving, and when an opportunity came her way, she readily seized it and started driving a local tour bus, which provided her with a substantial income to support herself and her family.
He said gender should not come in the way of achieving your dreams and inspired the young women of Antigua and Barbuda to take up any profession for which they had an internal calling.
She expressed hope that in the years to come more and more women will be taking up the job of professional drivers and provide respectable livelihood to their families.
