Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) introduced the much-awaited special city bus service for women through a ceremony at city's Anderkilla intersection.

City Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury formally inaugurated the service as chief guest terming it a fulfilment of his electoral pledge.

Over four hundred women, who gathered at the ceremony, gave the mayor a rousing ovation when he declared the launch of the service.

CCC Female Commissioner Sabiha Musa presided over the ceremony while senior journalist Obaidul Hoque, CCC Chief Executive Officer Mostafa Kamal Uddin, former Chief Engineer of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Mamudul Islam and wife of city mayor Hasina Mohiuddin spoke on the occasion.

The service started with 10 buses that would ply in two routes including route no. 1 and route no. 2 out of the scheduled four routes.

Sources said the service would start with 10 more buses in the other two routes in a week.

Mayor Mohiuddin in his speech said it was one of my electoral pledges to arrange hassle free travel for female passengers of the city who had long been suffering and facing harassments while travelling in the general city buses, rangers and tempos.

He declared that CCC would gradually recruit female supervisors for these buses and employ female staff in the ticket counters.

Sources said the bus fare was fixed at Tk 3 per passenger for travelling first one kilometre and it would rise by Tk 2 for every additional kilometre.

It is two times higher than the existing special city service buses, which charge Tk 2 for first 3 kilometers, and Tk 1 for every additional kilometre. Despite the higher fare, I appreciate the service as it brings comfort for us at last, said Purabi Chakraborty, a passenger.