Berta Persson

Berta Persson (née Pettersson) (11 August 1893 – 9 December 1961) was the first female bus driver in Sweden. She was nicknamed Buss-Berta and drove the Kappelshamn–Visby bus route between 1927 and 1934.

Early life and marriage Berta Albertina Pettersson was born on 11 August 1893 in Hallgård, Bara, Gotland. She was the eldest of five children born to Anna Katarina Amanda (née Fohlin) and Petter Albert Pettersson, also known as Myrman. The couple bought a sawmill and moved in above the business. Berta gave birth to seven children during this period, six of whom survived.

Bus driving career In 1925, when the Kappelshamn to Visby bus line came up for sale, Persson and her husband bought it. The purchase included lorry and taxi services, and the Perssons decided to start a haulage business. They sold their farm, and settled in a two-room apartment in Kappelshamn. Persson took on the running of the business.

Persson became the first woman to drive a scheduled bus in Sweden in 1927, when she started driving the Kappelshamn–Visby route. She initially drove a Chevrolet bus which could accommodate 14 passengers. The speed limit was 20 kilometres per hour. In 1931, the speed limit changed to 30 kilometres per hour, and Persson purchased a Volvo bus. On Gotland, Persson became known by the nickname "Buss-Berta".