The city corporation introduced the service for women commuters on April 1.

City Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury formally inaugurated the second city bus service for women at a ceremony at the Bahaddarhat intersection.

The female bus service is one of the 42 election pledges made by the mayor during the last mayoral polls in May 2005 to give women passengers, especially the government and private service holders, girl students and the mothers taking their children to school everyday, a hassle-free and comfortable journey.

Although the CCC bothered little to the opposition at initial stage from the transport owners, who run the traditional city services, its noble initiative has caught in some problems right from the beginning that are yet to be resolved.

Scarcity of sufficient buses, high fare, and less number of passengers are posing a threat to the existence of the female service while the mayor and the city corporation officials are quite confident that it will gain popularity and acceptability in a very short period.

"I know very well the nerves of the city dwellers as well their expectations in me. I am also quite aware of the unbearable sufferings our female passengers face everyday while travelling on board male-laden buses, tempos or other transports. That is why I believe that the service the CCC introduces cannot be failed," Mohiuddin Chowdhury said.

The mayor, while speaking as chief guest at Bahaddarhat, announced that the CCC would introduce another special bus service for male passengers in future to make their journey hassle-free as part of the corporation's pro-people activities. He said female bus services will be introduced in all the routes in the city gradually.

The service started on April 30 with 11 more buses of Rainbow Transport will ply to and from Bahaddarhat, Muradpur, GEC Intersection, Wasa Crossing, Tigerpass, Dewanhat, Agrabad, Customs, Port, EPZ, Patenga and Air Port.

Earlier, the CCC launched the service to and from Bahaddarhat,Chawk Bazar, Anderkilla, New Market, Tigerpass and Airport.

A CCC official said the city bus service for the women has failed to draw passengers to a great extent and it has been incurring loss due to less number of passengers. He, however, hoped that the service would be a profit-making one in future.

The fare was high comparing to other existing bus services at the initial stage. But considering the reality, we have decreased the fare to almost half now and for this we think that the female passengers will avail the opportunity to travel on it, he said.