Ghazala Bangash started out as a driving instructor in 1976 and claims to have taught over 5,600 students in Islamabad since then. For young women learning how to drive in Islamabad, Ms Bangash is something of a household name, and her white 1973 Datsun emblazoned with ‘Venus Driving School’, a rite of passage.

Dawn caught up with Ms Bangash to talk to her about her career.

Q: How did you get your start as a driving instructor?

A: “I started by chance — someone told me they needed an instructor in Super Market. They tested my driving and selected me, this was November 1976. I used to teach in Rawalpindi as well, but then I started getting more business in Islamabad and it was wasting my time so now I only teach in Islamabad.

I’ve taught upwards of 5,000 people in the 37 years since I started. I opened my own school in 1980; the first three years I was working for two different schools.

My car is a ’73 model, and I’ve been using it to teach driving for over 20 years. I’d guess around 3,000 students have driven it. I do teach boys as well, but only if they are someone I know. I don’t have such issues with women.

I bump into my students in the city and I tell them to honk lightly if they see me driving. I have a male student who I occasionally run into and we end up talking at a signal. Once, a student turned around to look at me while driving and drove into a post. I knew where he lived so I went to his house and told him off for it.”

Q: Do you think it’s important for women to know how to drive?

A: “It’s very necessary now - back when I was first teaching, girls would learn as a hobby and would not drive after they had learnt. But now, hiring a driver is expensive and they aren’t reliable. It’s very important for women to know how to drive so they can go to work or school. Boys can take buses when they are late, but going home late in a bus for women is difficult. If you have your car you can travel comfortably.

When [women are] married, they end up dealing with their children and household matters if they can drive. But some women also regret learning how to drive because their husbands tell them [to run errands]. But by learning, their husbands are freer as well. And husbands, brothers and fathers can relax - some brothers charge their sisters if they ask to be dropped somewhere, so girls prefer to drive themselves.”

Q: How does it feel, as a driving instructor, to hear the stereotype that women cannot drive?

A: “I’ve heard it a lot, and it’s very discouraging for women. But women are discouraged in every matter - in household matters, family problems.

In my experience, 95pc of men drive badly. Women are alert, they don’t hurry and they patiently wait at a crossing. Women have patience, but men don’t, they think [women are] just going to stand there, so just drive past them.”

Q: Have you had any students that were memorably bad or good?

A: “I have the same style of teaching; some pick up on driving, others don’t. I’ve had so many students who have taken double courses but they just couldn’t learn.

But others pick up driving within four days and then they refuse to touch my car because they want to drive their cars. But that’s not as common.

Sometimes family members don’t give them their cars [to drive], so they lose practice and forget. And practice is very important; I tell my students to drive 10 to 20 minutes every day for a month and a half and they’ll be ready to drive alone.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2016

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