Steering change on and off the road

From balancing heavy clutches to balancing families; from navigating Cape Town’s unrest to navigating student quirks – many women shuttle drivers at the University of Cape Town (UCT) have steered through challenges that most can only imagine. But for Daneel Muller, Jean Petersen, and Zoliswa Nqwiliso, driving has been more than a job. It has been a pathway to stability, empowerment, and connections.

It all started when UCT introduced its first campus shuttle service in 2005, when a handful of women climbed behind the wheel of the large buses, breaking stereotypes and laying the foundation for a more inclusive transport industry. Two decades later, their stories reveal resilience, service, and a shared love of the road.

For Petersen, the steering wheel offered more than mobility – it offered survival. Having left her previous job at Golden Arrow Buses while navigating a divorce, the UCT position became both a financial lifeline and personal renewal. “I had to put food on the table for my kids. But I also genuinely loved driving and being around people.”

“You get both rowdy and kind people on the road. But it makes you stronger and wiser and more alert.”

But her favourite memories are rooted in human connection, like helping a panicked first-year student who thought she had forgotten her laptop at residence. “Luckily, all the passengers had disembarked, and I had to do what I was not allowed to do – drive her back to the residence. “While she went inside, my instincts told me to get out of the driver’s seat and check inside the bus. There was her bag under her seat. When she got back from the residence, still very stressed, I handed it over to a flood of relief. Those are the moments that made the job joyful.”

And she assisted another student – a medical student from Zimbabwe – with the basics of the Afrikaans language to help her improve her conversations with parents when doing practical training at healthcare facilities. “She wanted to greet them in Afrikaans, and I would teach her on the way. I really loved it; it was joyful for me. I still have contacts with many people who were students and are professors today.”

Although the transport industry is much more inclusive, Petersen and her colleagues still encounter impatient motorists on the road who want them to give way or slow down instantly. “You get rowdy and kind people on the road. But it makes you stronger and wiser and more alert.”

In 2016, she swapped the driver’s seat for the dispatcher’s desk, coordinating routes and managing drivers. Surprisingly, the shift brought even greater challenges. “It’s more stressful than being on the road,” she admitted. “Handling complaints, allocating shifts fairly – it requires patience and diplomacy. But it’s what you make of it.”

Still, her people-first approach remains constant. “Be confident, be neat, be polite – and always smile,” she advises aspiring women drivers. “If you can make someone’s day a little better, why not?”

Finding freedom on the road

For Muller, driving has been more than a livelihood. It has been a source of calm, freedom, and joy. With more than 15 years in the transport sector, including a decade at Golden Arrow Services as both a driver and inspector, she has spent much of her life on the move.

“At Golden Arrow there were a lot of riots and unrest, especially in the disadvantaged communities,” she said. “You never knew if you’d come home safe. At UCT, it’s much safer. The only thing I worry about here is traffic during peak hours, especially on the route to and from Hiddingh campus in town.”

“You have to prove yourself twice as a woman driver. People judge you before they know you.”

Like any other driver, her routes vary weekly – from the busy Rochester Residence run to the scenic loop past Table Mountain, a favourite she never tires of. “Every day the view is different. The light, the mountain, the weather – it changes every second. I love being outdoors, and driving gives me that.”

But being a woman behind the wheel has come with its share of scepticism, particularly that the transport industry is still male dominated. “You have to prove yourself twice as a woman driver. People judge you before they know you. When people see a female driver, they doubt you at first. But once they see how you drive, they relax. I know I’m a strong driver. I’d say I drive better than some of the guys,” she added with a grin.

Her passion for the road runs in the family. Her father worked in transport and encouraged her to try a learnership at Golden Arrow. “At first, I doubted I could handle a bus. But my dad said, ‘You won’t know if you don’t try.’ Now you can’t get me away from driving.”

Still, Muller acknowledges the physical toll. A back injury has her thinking about her next steps, perhaps moving into another role as a regulator, but staying close to the outdoors. To young women, her advice is direct: “Never look down on yourself. You don’t know what you’re capable of until you try. If someone else can do it, why can’t you? We’re all human.”

For her, driving remains a refuge. “When I’m stressed, I just want to drive. Put on some music, hit the road, and everything feels calmer.”

A career rooted in care

Nqwiliso remembers her journey to driving UCT shuttles with both nerves and determination. It all began when she was still doing training at Golden Arrow when she found the going getting tough. “It was not easy,” she laughed. “At first, when the trainer said, ‘turn right,’ I would turn left, and when he said turn left, I would turn right. These buses were much bigger, with heavy pedals and clutch balance. Remember, I did not even have a vehicle to get more practice. But the trainers were patient, and in the end, I became perfect.”

“Here, people are disciplined. They greet you and thank you when they get off the bus. That made me happy.”

For Nqwiliso, leaving Golden Arrow for UCT was transformative. “I wanted to test what it is like to work for a university as opposed to driving for the public. The difference was big. Golden Arrow passengers would fight; there were robberies. Here, people are disciplined. They greet you and thank you when they get off the bus. That made me happy.”

From 2005, she drove until 2013, when job insecurity linked to annual contracts forced her to leave. But she returned in 2017 when UCT insourced the service, offering stable employment and new opportunities. “That gave me peace of mind. Here, there are chances to grow and study further.”

Her years behind the wheel have brought humour and occasional stress. Students, she chuckles, ask the same questions again and again: “Where is this bus going?” Or they are reluctant to show their student cards to board the bus. “You have to remind them every time.”

Occasionally, she had to deal with not-so-nice students who refused to show their student card. “One student wanted to pick a fight with me. He said, ‘These buses belong to students, and why must he show me his student card to board?’ It was during vacation in the morning, and he was from Long Street for a night out. I called the security guards to attend to him. But it rarely happens. Mostly, the environment here is safe compared to public transport. No robberies, no protests. That’s why I enjoy it.”

Nqwiliso also carries bigger dreams. She hopes to study social services so she can, in her retirement, support orphaned children and elderly people. “I like working with people. I want to be an elderly person who is helping in my community.”

With equality being taken seriously at UCT and in the country in general, she is encouraging others not to hesitate to choose shuttle driving as a career: “Driving a bus is the same as driving a small vehicle. I enjoy driving and working with people.” Muller echoed her sentiments and said, “If you love people and you love driving, you’ll succeed.”