CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday inaugurated 10 women-only ordinary buses offering free travel on five routes. These services, which connect residential areas with colleges and private companies, will be operated by women conductors, with two buses allotted to each route.
Marking the launch of the service, the chief minister flagged off the pink-coloured buses at a function held at the Nandambakkam Trade Centre.
The buses have been introduced on Vallalar Nagar-Ennore (56A), Korukkupet Railway Station-Vivekananda House (32B), Red Hills-Vallalar Nagar (57), Broadway-Perumbakkam (102P), and Broadway-Kannagi Nagar (102K) routes, said an official note from the transport department.
Officials of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) said the services will be exclusively for women commuters. “Men will not be permitted to board these buses, as they are meant to cater to school-and college-going girls as well as working women,” an official said.
The introduction of ‘Vidiyal Payanam’ scheme, which allows women to travel free on ordinary buses, has significantly boosted public transport usage. The share of women passengers, which was initially around 40%, has risen to 61% at the state level and touched 63% on some routes, the release said.
The statement noted that MTC’s daily ridership, which stood at 28.7 lakh in 2021-22, increased to 33.72 lakh in December last year.