The veteran bus driver who puts passengers first

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Bus passengers in Guilin, south China, will be quite familiar with the voice: “Welcome to the self-service ticketing bus No. 11.” These are the tones of Xia Sichu, who has been driving the route for more than 20 years.

In 1991, 19-year-old Xia became a conductor. Five years later, she started to drive.

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"I was born in a pretty poor family. I felt very lucky when I got this job," Xia says.

Dedicated to her job, Xia tries her best in every detail.

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To keep her workplace clean and tidy, she arrives early every morning to clean the cab and prepare for work.

"We used to clean the whole bus all by ourselves. Sometimes, we would skip breakfast to make sure the cleaning was well done. It would be more comfortable for passengers," the stalwart driver says.

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Xia knows her regulars well. "No. 11 is an old line in the old district of Guilin," she says, "so there are lots of elder passengers. I have to drive smoothly."

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Xia works hard to keep up with the times.

In terms of driving, she says, "There have been massive changes and developments in Guilin in the past two decades. There are more cars on the road, and it has become ever more crowded on the bus. When the road is bumpy, a sudden brake may end up with people falling. Safety is always our first priority."

When instructing her apprentices, she emphasizes the importance of safety by urging, "Pushing softer on the brake pedal means better control."

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Nowadays, travelers from all over the world come to Guilin. With only a middle school diploma, Xia learned to announce stops in English and Cantonese. And when she realized there could be deaf and mute people taking the ride, she decided to learn sign language.

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Xia regards the bus as a family space. She believes there are better ways to communicate with passengers. “Try to speak gently. Be nice to the passengers and they will be nice to you in return.”

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"The reason why people have road rage is the lack of mutual understanding,” she believes. “There is no need to bother about gains and losses with cars or pedestrians."

Her motto is that the road appears wider if you have a broader mind.

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Despite little reward, Xia is a role model in the service industry in Guilin. As she always says, “Convenience for others means happiness to me.”

"The 1.3 Billion" series exploring the diverse lives that make up China.