Mumbai: In a bid to make travel smoother for women commuters, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking on Thursday started a non-air-conditioned ladies' special bus named ‘Tejaswini’. BEST has now received six out of a fleet of 37 such buses.
Accordingto BEST officials,the ladies' special bus service will be between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) and vice-versa.
As of now, BEST has bought only six buses, each costing Rs 29.50 lakh. These diesel variant buses have 35 seats. For the Tejaswini scheme, the state government has given a subsidy of Rs 11.50 crore.
These buses will be plying on route number one, that is from CSMT to NCPA. Initially, these buses will run during 7 a.m to 11 a.m and 5 p.m to 9 p. m. The frequency of the buses will be increased if they get good response,” said Manoj Warade, Deputy PRO, BEST.
The BEST undertaking has siad that these ladies' special service buses have been started to ensure safe and comfortable travel for women passengers.
The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) started 10 air-conditioned Tejaswini buses last year.
The Tejaswini buses have a distinctive yellow colour. The proposal for the 37 non-AC mini Tejaswini buses was approved by the BEST Committee in a meeting held in June this year.
Currently, BEST is operating a few double-decker buses from CSMT to NCPA for women passengers. After the reduction in BEST bus fare in July this year, the undertaking has seen an increase in passengers.
