Delhi Bus Free Travel: Rules regarding free travel for women on Delhi buses are set to change starting September 1. Women will no longer be able to avail of free bus travel using the ‘Pink Ticket.’ To benefit from free travel, it will be mandatory for passengers to present the ‘Pink Saheli Smart Card.’ According to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), the validity of the Pink Ticket on buses will expire at midnight on August 31. Thereafter, free travel facilities based on the Pink Ticket will no longer be available; the Pink Saheli Smart Card will be required for free travel from September 1. The deadline for making the Pink Saheli Smart Card mandatory has been extended several times previously. Initially, it was scheduled to be implemented on August 1, after which the date was moved to August 16. However, in view of Raksha Bandhan, the government decided to extend the Pink Ticket-based free travel facility until August 31. Now, the DTC has issued a fresh order clarifying that free travel will not be permitted without the Pink Saheli Smart Card starting September 1.
Greatest Impact on Women from Other States
The implementation of the Pink Saheli Smart Card system will most significantly affect women from outside Delhi. Under the old Pink Ticket system, female passengers traveling on Delhi buses were not required to provide proof of Delhi residency. Consequently, women visiting Delhi from other states could also avail of free travel using the Pink Ticket. Under the new system, the benefit of free bus travel is restricted to eligible women and transgender passengers residing in Delhi. A mechanism has been established to link the Pink Saheli Smart Card with the beneficiary’s mobile number and Aadhaar details, enabling verification of both the passenger’s identity and their Delhi residency. Consequently, from September 1, female passengers from other states visiting Delhi will have to pay the standard fare on DTC government buses. The free travel facility previously available via Pink Tickets for women visiting Delhi from other states during festivals like Raksha Bandhan and other occasions will also cease. Lakhs of ‘Pink Saheli’ Cards Issued
Once the new system is implemented, ‘Pink Tickets’ will be issued only to female passengers who possess a valid ‘Pink Saheli Smart Card’. According to the government, lakhs of Pink Saheli Smart Cards have already been created and distributed in the capital. The government aims to bring as many eligible women as possible under this system. Officials noted that the DTC had also launched an awareness campaign due to the relatively slow adoption rate of the Pink Saheli card among female passengers. Through this initiative, women traveling by bus were encouraged and informed about the process of obtaining the Pink Saheli Smart Card.
50 Centers Established for Pink Saheli Cards
According to officials, the government intends to gradually phase out the paper-based Pink Ticket system used for free bus travel and replace it with a smart card-based system. As part of this initiative, Pink Saheli Smart Cards are being provided to female passengers. To simplify the card issuance process, the Delhi government has set up 50 authorized centers across the capital where eligible female passengers can apply for the Pink Saheli Smart Card.
