Delhi to expand ladies special bus service with 50 new electric vehicles

The Delhi government announced on Saturday a plan to expand its ladies special bus service by introducing approximately 50 electric buses equipped with all-women staff, marshalls, CCTV cameras, and panic buttons. The expansion will target busy routes in Central Delhi, ITO, and areas near prominent colleges and offices to improve safety and last-mile connectivity for female commuters.

According to officials, the planned operating hours for these new buses will be from 5 am to 11-12 pm. The deployment strategy includes placing 25 of these buses in Outer Delhi and another 25 as University Specials to assist college-going students.

Currently, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) operates only a few such buses on two routes. A senior DTC official explained that the ladies special service was originally initiated when the Congress party was in power and was later run on only one or two routes by special request. The DTC now aims to implement the scheme in a more structured manner by adding more buses and enhanced security features.

Under the rules of the service, men will not be allowed to board these specialized buses. However, officials confirmed that mothers traveling with children will be permitted to use the service.

To determine the specific corridors where the demand for women-only transit is highest, the government is currently studying the usage patterns of Saheli Pink Smart Cards, which facilitate free travel for female passengers.

The procurement of these 50 electric buses will be done under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, a national initiative aimed at accelerating electric vehicle adoption. This expansion is part of the Delhi government's larger transit strategy to build a modern fleet of approximately 14,000 buses by 2028-29. This effort follows the addition of 300 electric buses to the city's fleet last week, which brought Delhi's total electric bus count to 4,845.