These vehicles will provide service from 9am to 11am and 3pm to 5pm. After the winter season, the vehicles are expected to ply on the route from 4pm to 6pm as well. “This is a great initiative shown by the transport entrepreneurs to ensure ease to women commuters,” said Tulasi Sitaula, secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.

The 16-seat bus will ferry women along the 18 kilometre route at the maximum fare of Rs 28. Transport entrepreneurs said they also plan to add more buses if the special service becomes successful in the preliminary phase. “We have made investment in the service so adding more vehicles will depend on the business,” said Dharma Raj Rimal, Bagmati Zonal coordinator of the National Federation of Nepal Transport Entrepreneurs.

The federation also plans to expand the service to all four corners of the Valley, including in the Balaju and Koteshwor routes. “We are looking for support from the government as well as the commuters to make this service better,” Rimal said. These buses with female conductors will boast female drivers soon.

Four years ago, a similar service was initiated for female students of Tribhuvan University but lasted only for a month. “We are more positive about the current route as it is long and can serve more passengers,” Situala said.

The operators, however, seem to be caught in a dilemma whether or not they should let males accompanied by women board these buses. “What if husband and wife or mother and son want to travel together? We are currently confused about that,” Rimal said. “But for now, we will be entirely discarding male passengers,” he clarified.