Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday flagged off 10 “pink cabs” which will be driven by women. She announced a subsidy of Rs 1.5 lakh for women who would apply under the Gatidhara scheme to buy a pink cab.

The scheme provides financial help of up to Rs 1 lakh to unemployed youths who want to buy commercial vehicles.

“These cabs are driven by women. The subsidy will help them,” Mamata said while flagging off a fleet of 10 pink cabs at Nabanna. “Meye ra toh joddha. (Women are fighters). Oder onek abhinandan (Congratulations to them).”

Transport department officials said the pink cabs — so called because of their pink-coloured bonnets and roofs — would run as metered taxis. They will hit the roads on Thursday.

These cabs, all owned and driven by women, have been introduced for women passengers, especially those who return late from work. “However, it is up to a driver to decide whether she will let a man take a ride,” an official in the transport department said. “The owners are free to let the vehicles be used as luxury cabs by joining hands with corporate bodies to ferry their women employees.”

Owners/drivers of pink cabs said they wanted to prove they were as competent as men to earn and support their families. Most are from Howrah, and South 24-Parganas.