In recent months, the achievements and innovation of the City Transport Operator 'La Rolita' have been highlighted by several international media outlets specializing in mobility, environmental sustainability, and gender equity. This includes Bloomberg's news portal, the Mobiliblog of the Inter-American Development Bank, and the German production company FechnerMEDIA.
The most significant distinguishing factor of 'La Rolita' is its gender equity, achieved through the recruitment of a large percentage of women in driving positions, transforming dynamics in a historically male-dominated industry, and placing women in leadership and empowerment roles in the area of inclusive and sustainable public transportation.
According to Carolina Martinez, the manager of 'La Rolita', the operator has improved the transportation service in the Ciudad Bolivar district, contributing to sustainability and gender equity. "There are very few women in Colombia who work in the transportation sector. Today, in La Rolita, we have 547 employees, of whom 47% are women in maintenance, administrative and driving roles," she emphasized.
Contenidos relacionados
The article "Colombia’s Women-Led Electric Bus Fleet Is Reshaping Bogotá’s Public Transit" published on May 8th on the North-American news portal Bloomberg highlights the community reach of 'La Rolita' and the quality of its service to improve public transportation.
"La Rolita, an all-electric fleet with a focus on gender equity began operating last year. Created as part of Mayor Claudia Lopez’s development plan for the Colombian capital, the project is a bet that public investment can help shift perceptions of mass transportation," says the U.S. media.
The website also highlights the life stories of female operators and the vocational labor formalization of this initiative. "La Rolita has paid for its drivers, many of whom are single mothers, to upgrade their driving licenses, and enables employees to access social security," the publication emphasizes.
In addition, the transportation and mobility ideas blog for Latin America and the Caribbean, MoviliBlog, of the Inter-American Development Bank - BID, has dedicated three chapters to "La Rolita, much more than a public transport company." In this series of publications, the blog describes in detail the history of the new City Transport Operator in Bogotá, "whose operation started on September 30, 2022, with a significant number of women behind the wheel, demonstrating the commitment to social profitability of public transport that this new company has, with fascinating stories like that of Diana, who went from selling peanuts on public transport buses to transporting the dreams of the users of the Colombian capital on the innovative electric buses of the SITP through 'La Rolita'."
Below is a video from the BID that describes the creation and structuring process of 'La Rolita'.:
In the second chapter of this series, the focus is on the success lessons of this sustainable transportation and gender equity initiative for the Colombian capital. "According to the City's vision, the structuring had as strategic lines to guarantee a company: sustainable, with a focus on service quality, focused on innovation, and incorporating best practices in gender equality," highlights the publication.
In the final installment, the life stories of the female workers of 'La Rolita' are highlighted, and details are provided on the ambitious training and employment initiative that transformed their lives, increasing their participation in the transport sector in Bogotá, where currently only 1% of the driving personnel of the Public Transport Integrated System - SITP, are women. According to the blog post, "more than 550 women have been trained to work for 'La Rolita' or private operators in the city. In 2023, Bogotá, with support from the BID, will continue the training program; in other trades such as maintenance mechanics, and incorporating new beneficiaries into the program such as the migrant population residing in Bogotá."
The following video highlights the life stories of the female workers of 'La Rolita':
Finally, last April, the German production company FechnerMEDIA, which has been producing world-renowned films in the field of sustainability and renewable energy for over 30 years, visited the facilities of 'La Rolita' in the midst of the production of their latest cinematic project called 'The Story of a New World'.
The company selected this initiative to be part of its documentary of notable global experiences due to its innovation and contribution to solving both environmental and social problems. "We use documentary elements to highlight many inspiring people and projects from around the world who are helping us overcome some of the biggest systemic crises facing nature and people. We will focus on impactful solutions, not problems," emphasized Michael Tauchert, Producer at FechnerMEDIA.
This film will also serve as the starting point of a campaign that will be carried out in 50 countries and will be the driving force to turn viewers into active agents of change, allowing millions of people to discover the initiatives taking place in their communities and how they can participate in them.
