Radhamani Amma from Thopumppady, Kerala is demonstrating through her life that nothing is ever limited by age! The 70-plus year old is dispelling myths about women drivers by obtaining the permit to operate 11 different types of automobiles, because she likes to drive. When Radhamani Amma learnt to drive a car for the first time in 1981, it was only the beginning. She journeyed through life fulfilling her aspirations to become a professional driver.
At the age of 30, Radhamani trained to drive for the first time at her husband’s insistence. She quickly discovered that it was exciting and began driving various kinds of automobiles.
Remarkably, Radhamani obtained permits to drive trucks, buses, JCB cranes, trailers, forklifts, road rollers, two-wheelers, excavators, and cars. She also obtained a hazardous license to drive vehicles transporting petroleum products. When she first started driving a car and moving around the community forty years ago, many neighbours were taken aback and was ridiculed by many.
At an age when most people consider retirement, Radhamani is currently assisting her children in running a driving school that her husband founded in Kochi, Kerala. When she lost her spouse in a tragic accident in 2004, she began to take care of the school. She obtained her first truck and bus licence in 1988, marking the beginning of her driving career. From Thoppumpady, she operated a bus to Cherthala, which at the time housed the heavy vehicle licensing office.
The senior citizen is affectionately referred to as ‘Mani Amma,’ and is the first woman instructor at a heavy driving school in Kerala. Radhamani Amma is now attempting to earn a diploma in automotive engineering after bringing about a significant breakthrough in the driving industry.
Image source: Rediff, Indian Express, News18