The service will start on 70 routes in the metropolis with a fleet of 100 buses. (FILE)
The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), the civic transport undertaking in Mumbai, on Wednesday announced that it would launch a dedicated bus service for women from November 6.
The service will start on 70 routes in the metropolis with a fleet of 100 buses, it said in a release.
Of 70 routes, 10 will be "ladies special", which means only women passengers will be able to board the buses dedicated for this service.
The remaining 60 routes will be "ladies first" ones, where women passengers will be given priority at the first bus stop.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had directed it to start a "ladies special" and "ladies first" service for easing the commute of women passengers in the metropolis, BEST said.
As many as 90 per cent of these routes will have air conditioned buses.
BEST operated some women-only services earlier but they were discontinued after a recent route rationalization, the release said.
The undertaking has a fleet of over 4,000 buses. Before the pandemic, nearly 35 lakh passengers used to travel by BEST buses every day.
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