From Bus Attendants to Drivers: The Evolution of Women’s Roles in Taiwan’s Public Transportation
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This article is part of the 50th issue of LEAP — Voices of Youth e-letter. Subscribe now.
In Taiwan, “road morons” is a term used to describe reckless drivers on the road. It implicitly refers to three groups of unskilled drivers, namely women, elders, and elderly women. Despite the statistical finding that more car accidents involve female drivers than male drivers, it is also known that men are more likely to engage in risky driving and violate traffic regulations that lead to car accidents with serious injuries and casualties. Hence, the common impression of “road morons” is a reflection of the negative stereotypes against female drivers in Taiwan.
Other than the social stereotypes against “road morons,” statistics reveal the proportion of females who own small private vehicles is only half of males. The number of professional female drivers is also significantly fewer than male drivers. Throughout the history of Taiwan’s public transportation, women have been assigned the role of bus attendant for a long period of time. Just like the old term “flight stewardess”, the name “bus stewardess/attendant” suggests a strong gender framework.
The Emotional Labor of Female Bus Attendants
When public bus services became available in Taiwan’s major cities and towns during the 1920s and 1930s, the gender division of labor was clear. Men were drivers and women were bus attendants. Bus attendants were responsible for managing bus tickets, announcing station names, serving tea and newspapers, and introducing city attractions like a tour guide. They would also get off the bus to direct traffic and alert drivers of road conditions as necessary.
As women started stepping outside of their families to enter the job market, the high-paying, nicely-dressed bus attendant was once a dream job for many women. Between the 1960s and 1970s, the hiring of new bus attendants had a low acceptance rate. Like flight attendants, only women with higher social achievements were able to be hired as bus attendants.
In line with the findings from gender research on flight attendants, bus attendants would also encounter many labor predicaments. First of all, bus attendants needed to manage a lot of emotional labor from close passenger interactions because any negative attitude would be subject to public criticism. Next, the role of bus attendant carried social expectations to fit stereotypical beauty standards like perfect looks, body figures, and manners. Many bus companies even asked bus attendants to resign when they became married or pregnant.
With rising labor costs and the development of automated ticketing systems, bus attendants were gradually replaced by drivers and machines. By the end of the 1990s, the smiling faces of female bus attendants officially became a thing of the past.
The Challenges for Female Drivers in a Male-Dominated Workplace
The first two professional female drivers in Taiwan appeared in 1931–a bus driver and a taxi driver, respectively. Compared to bus attendants, there have been fewer professional female drivers in the history of Taiwan’s public transportation. Even to this day, most public transit services are still provided by male drivers.
According to 2021 statistics, the public transit system that hires relatively more female drivers or operators in Taiwan is the Mass Rapid Transit system, at a proportion of approximately 11% to 23%. About 10% of drivers of the Taiwan High-Speed Rail are female, while city bus and taxi drivers are approximately 3% to 4% female. The public transit systems that hire the smallest proportion of female drivers include Taiwan Railway (TRA), long-distance buses, and tour buses with a proportion of only 1%.
In 2012, Chien-Fang Chiu became TRA’s first female driver in the company’s 123 years of existence. During an interview with the media, Chiu talked about having to share shower rooms divided by shower curtains with men due to TRA’s initial lack of a female dormitory. Being the gender minority in the workplace, many of her behaviors were also exaggerated or fabricated. “Some rumors said I was gang raped because I had meals with single male colleagues. After hearing these rumors, the wives of other colleagues called their husbands and asked them not to work with me.”
In such a male-dominated workplace, female drivers need more proactive measures to secure their labor rights. In an interview, Pei-Rong Wu, a female bus driver with two children, discussed how the company assigned shorter routes to her, making it more flexible for her to take care of her children. Individual lounge rooms are also available for her to breastfeed during break time. With the compliments she receives from passengers, Wu is proud of her job because the “bus is both my castle and my exclusive ride!”
Women can be outstanding drivers when society no longer holds gender bias towards specific occupations and opts for a gender-friendly workplace for all groups.
Note: The historical information in this article referenced the “Taiwanese Women” website from the National Museum of Taiwan History https://women.nmth.gov.tw/
Also in This Issue: The Bus that Brings Happiness to Elderly Women in Rural Areas
A story of the “Happy Bus Service” that changed the lives of elderly women in Luchang Village, a rural indigenous village in Taiwan.
Author : Lin Si-hou
Freelance journalist exploring gender and public issues.
