New Delhi, Jan 3 (IANS): Delhi's Lt. Governor Tejendra Khanna has asked the Delhi Metro to extend its services to enhance safety and security of commuters in general and women in particular, an official said Thursday.

"A group of college students from I.P. College in Delhi university and many women organisations has suggested to the Lt Governor that Delhi Metro be asked to extend services, as it is the safest mode of transport in Delhi," Ranjan Mukherjee, officer on special duty (OSD) to Khanna, told IANS.

Following this, Khanna asked Delhi Metro to consider the request of women in the capital and begin services from 5 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. and extend night services from 11 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.

"Khanna had spoken to Delhi Metro chief Mangu Singh to extend the services one hour in the morning and for half-an-hour in the night from the current schedule for the convenience of women commuters," Mukherjee said.

Delhi Metro, the city's lifeline, daily ferries nearly 1.8 million passengers over 2,700 trips. Of this, 450,000 women passengers avail of Metro service every day on weekdays, while during the weekends, the number is 325,000.