Neslihan Kose, 22, is the first female bus driver of Komotini’s KTEL, Greece’s long-distance bus service. Her route in particular serves the capital city of Rhodope, in northern Greece.
Every morning she drives 17 kilometres from Neo Kallintirio, her village in the municipality of Arriana in Rhodope, to Komotini, near the Greek-Turkish border.
She told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency that even the most “distrustful” passengers, often of older age, “trust her driving skills completely” and have also embraced her as one of their own. “At first, grandmas especially were somewhat wary, but now they greet me cheerfully and call me Νelly,” she said.
Ms Kose took to driving from a young age, planning her future career while playing with toy cars, she said. When she finished high school, she studied to become a driving instructor in a private school. Her mother showed reluctance, however father was very supportive. A tourist ship engineer himself, he was able to understand and endorse his daughters’ passion for driving. “Daddy was glad and told me to go for it, since I have the guts,” she said.
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Her fellow villagers were doubtful of her decision at first, but now they are convinced that the professional path she’s chosen is the one that makes her happy. “They didn’t believe I could do it. Now they’re used to it.” When asked if any other girls in her village share her passion, she said that they want to learn how to drive but nothing more.
She dreams of opening her own driving school at Komotini, but she has to wait until she turns 24 years old, in order to get the necessary license for her next step.
“I want to stay at my home town. I love Komotini and my village,” she said, adding that driving calms her down. “I turn on the radio to a music station and all the stress I have vanishes,” she said.
She recently had the chance to share her passion for driving with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who visited the region and met with local women.
“The President asked me how old I was, what I studied and how I decided to become a driver and I told her my story. She showed great interest and listened to me carefully,” Ms Kose said.
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The young driver from Neo Kallintirio has earned the love and respect of her male colleagues as well as that of KTEL director Nikos Likoudis, who saw the talent and decided on her hiring, after testing her first. She first drove mini buses across urban lines, however has been driving bigger buses following the coronavirus lockdown.
