The free travel facility will be available for lady passengers in normal and air-conditioned buses, from 8 am to 10 pm on August 26, the DTC said in a statement.

New Delhi: The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has decided to provide free rides to women in buses on Raksha Bandhan, notwithstanding a warning by contractual staffers of the public transporter to go on mass leave on the day of the festival. The Delhi Metro will run extra trips on Saturday and Sunday on the occasion of the festival.

The free travel facility will be available for lady passengers in normal and air-conditioned buses, from 8 am to 10 pm on August 26, the DTC said in a statement.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said those Metro lines where services begin from 8 am will function from 6 am these two days. The Delhi Metro will run 253 extra trips on Saturday, on the eve of Raksha Bandhan, and 598 extra trips on Sunday, on the day of the festival, it said in a statement.

Additional guards and Customer Facilitation Agents (CFA) will also be deployed at major metro stations to help and guide commuters on these two days.

In addition, extra personnel will also be deployed to handle the increased load on the ticketing system, wherever required, the official said.

The Delhi Metro normally witnesses great rush of commuters on Raksha Bandhan.