Ranchi: The Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) is all set to expand its Pink Bus fleet to provide hassle-free commute to womenfolk of the state capital. The civic body now plans to add six 32-seater buses to its existing fleet of four to augment service.Introduced in 2021, the buses run on the 7-km long Kutchery Chowk-Rajendra Chowk route within the city limits and cater only to women passengers at a nominal fare of Rs 5.Confirming that the new buses will be deployed on new routes to expand coverage, RMC city manager Sandeep Kumar said, “A committee is already in place which is taking feedback from stakeholders including students, working women and others about the preferred routes. The RMC will try to cover most travelled routes across the city so maximum number of passengers can be catered,” he said.The fare for the new services will also be decided based on the distance of the routes finalised. The RMC will float the procurement tender on Friday. Bids will be invited till September 7.Women commuters praised the RMC’s decision to expand coverage of the Pink Bus services. “Public commute can be a nightmare at times if you do not have the right kind of people travelling with you. More women-only buses will save us from the constant fear of being harassed by the male co-passengers,” said Anya Sinha, a college student.Prerna Jha, a working woman, said, “Women-only buses are a wonderful initiative provided they are maintained well. For many working women like me, public transport is the only option. If the route for women buses is expanded, commute will become cheaper and easier.”
