(Photo: Grad Zagreb)
While many residents of Zagreb are just beginning their working day, a group of women helping keep the Croatian capital running are already behind the wheel of trams, buses and heavy vehicles.
These women work across the city’s municipal companies, including Zagrebački Holding and public transport operator ZET, performing operational roles that ensure the daily functioning of Zagreb. In doing so, they are also helping challenge long-standing stereotypes about gender roles in traditionally male-dominated professions.
Ahead of International Women’s Day, several of these women shared their experiences of working in jobs that quite literally keep the city moving.
For Snježana Nikić, a tram driver with ZET, the job has always been a dream.
“Being a tram driver is wonderful, especially if you go through the day smiling like I do,” Nikić said. “People smile and wave back. Passengers often react positively, and some have said it’s nice to see a woman driving a tram and that it should always be like that.”
Tram driver Snježana Nikić (Photo: Grad Zagreb)
Another driver, Magdalena Andrić, says passengers are often pleasantly surprised when they see a woman behind the wheel of a bus.
“I really enjoy this job,” she explained. “Passengers, especially older ones, are often pleasantly surprised to see a woman driving a bus. I would encourage any woman who is interested and not afraid of traffic to come and work as a driver.”
Andrić previously spent 15 years working in a field job that involved constant contact with people before deciding to switch careers and become a bus driver.
Bus driver Magdalena Andrić (Photo: Grad Zagreb)
In total, 278 women work within ZET as tram or bus drivers, as well as ticket inspectors, highlighting the growing presence of women in public transport roles in Zagreb.
Women are also increasingly present in other operational services within the city.
Kristina Dragić, the first driver of a tow truck at the Zagrebparking branch of Zagrebački Holding, said her passion for trucks started early.
Tow truck driver Kristina Dragić (Photo: Grad Zagreb)
“From the beginning I wanted to be a truck driver because other members of my family work in that profession,” Dragić said. “My love for trucks brought me here. I like the job because no two days are the same, there is always a different vehicle or a different situation.”
For Sanja Turk, who operates a street-cleaning vehicle for the Čistoća branch, the independence of the job is one of its biggest attractions.
“Working with machines is nothing new for me,” Turk said. “I like the job because I work independently. I have my own cleaning vehicle and I focus on keeping my part of the city clean. The best part is when people on the street greet me and wave.”
Cleaner driver Sanja Turk (Photo: Grad Zagreb)
Meanwhile, Rozalija Bakšaj Hercigonja made a major career change after spending five years working in accounting.
Today she is one of just three women in Čistoća who drive large waste collection trucks.
“Driving a big truck gives me the feeling that I’m doing something important for people,” she said. “After working in accounting, I realised office work wasn’t for me. I enjoy the dynamic environment and working out in the field.”
Truck driver Rozalija Bakšaj Hercigonja (Photo: Grad Zagreb)
Although operational roles across Zagrebački Holding are still more commonly filled by men, the number of women taking on these jobs is steadily growing.
International Women’s Day serves as a reminder of the importance of gender equality, protection from discrimination and transparent recruitment processes, values emphasised by both Zagrebački Holding and ZET.