KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — The women’s coach service for the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Putrajaya line will begin this Monday, Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd chief executive officer (CEO) Amir Hamdan said.

The initiative will ensure more comfortable and safe journeys for women passengers, who make up to 60 per cent of rail passengers, and is a continuation of the pioneer MRT Kajang line women’s coach service that began on September 18 last year.

Amir said special pink stickers have been installed at 36 stations and 49 trains on the MRT Putrajaya line to help passengers identify the women’s coaches, located in the middle of each train.

“Since its introduction, the women’s coach service has been well received by passengers and data shows that the number of sexual harassment complaints on the MRT Kajang line has dropped from an average of 3.2 cases to two cases a month,” he said at a media conference in KL Sentral here today.

Amir said around 300 to 400 passengers can fit into the two women’s coaches for each journey and volunteer police have also been stationed to conduct periodic checks on trains and stations to ensure that everyone complies with the use of women’s coaches.

Amir, along with other Rapid Rail management, had earlier entertained around 100 passengers on the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Kelana Jaya line from Datuk Keramat Station to KL Sentral, serenading them with Raya songs in the run up to the upcoming Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

The Alun Tradisi group led the singalong, with their renditions of Balik Kampung, Selamat Hari Raya and Bila Takbir Bergema. — Bernama