Dubai is set to become the first city in the region to introduce buses exclusively for female passengers, a report said.

'The ladies-only bus service will start on April 10 to accommodate the increasing number of female passengers,' Mohammad Abu Bakr Al Hashimi, director of planning and business development at the Public Transport Agency of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), was quoted as saying in a Gulf  News report.

He said seven buses would operate on one route from Muhaisnah (near Lulu Village) to Satwa via Muraqqabat Road, Deira City Centre, Karama and World Trade Centre Interchange.

The bus service will be available from 6.30 to 9 am and from 4 to 8 pm. Operational times will be increased subsequently.

'We will introduce more buses and more routes after studying the response on this one route,' Al Hashimi added.

The current interval between buses is 30 minutes but RTA would increase bus services by reducing the intervals to between 15 to 20 minutes as demand rose.

Al Hashimi said that the buses would be normal RTA buses showing a sign displaying 'women only'. The ladies-only route has been named 'L55'.

He added that they would start with male drivers but introduce female drivers if the service proved a hit.