5 Aug 2019
Are you lucky enough to count your job as one of your hobbies? Somalian-born Bolt driver Omar Yasin certainly is.
Omar has always been a morning person. He likes to rise early—usually around 4 a.m.—watch the sunrise and then get behind the wheel of his Toyota Prius. Sometimes, if he’s feeling extra-energised, he even manages to visit the park beforehand!
One of six siblings, Omar grew up in Kenya and Tanzania before moving to the UK in 1998. He began driving for a living in 2001, aged 19, navigating the streets of East London for more than 10 years as a bus driver, a job he remembers fondly. In 2014, he decided to switch to private hire.
For Omar, one of the best things about life on the road is the diversity of people and personalities he gets to encounter on a daily basis. He believes that to be a successful driver, it’s vital to have a good personality and a sunny disposition. Fortunately for him (and his riders!), Omar is a naturally positive person and feels that having a job that you enjoy doing every day is key.
Finding customers via the Bolt app allows Omar to meet all kinds of people, at all times of the day. London is a city that never sleeps. Even at 6 a.m., some of his passengers are finishing work or leaving night clubs, making their way home. Others are bound for train stations or the airport, on their way to catch a flight to destinations near and far.
Driving isn’t even the best bit about Omar’s job, it’s the flexibility that he loves the most. He can adjust his shifts as much as he likes, to fit around his life, ensuring he can dedicate enough time to his religion, as prayer times shift with the seasons.
Being able to choose his own hours means that Omar can spend time doing all the other things he enjoys as much as driving—like cycling!
Being on wheels isn’t the only thing that Omar’s loves, though, he also gets a kick out of a walk in the park or a trip to the gym. When he can, Omar loves to leave London behind him and travel to exotic faraway places where it’s nice and hot, which reminds him of Somalia.
In June, Omar became a bit of a local celebrity when the BBC filmed him driving around Bolt’s CEO Markus Villig, during a news report. His friends were super-excited to see him on TV, but Omar was just ecstatic at being able to drive Markus around town!
