No more pink tickets? Delhi women may need ‘Pink Saheli’ smart card for free bus rides from Friday

The transport department had earlier announced that the smart cards would become mandatory for women passengers seeking free travel on DTC buses from October 1.

The Delhi government is not expected to continue the paper-based ‘pink ticket’ system for women travelling on Delhi Transport Corporation buses. From Friday, women may have to use ‘Pink Saheli’ smart cards to avail themselves of free bus travel.

The transport department had earlier announced that the smart cards would become mandatory for women passengers seeking free travel on DTC buses from October 1.

"Tomorrow (Friday), the government will issue a notification, after which the Pink Saheli card will be made mandatory for users. Nearly 19 lakh cards have been issued till now, which is a good number," said Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh.

Earlier, the government had given several extensions to the pink ticket facility.

"For the next 10 days, we will run an intensive awareness campaign asking women commuters to get Pink Saheli cards for free bus travel. Till that time, we will ensure that there is no inconvenience to travellers," a senior DTC official said.

Officials said the paper-based pink ticket system is being gradually phased out as the government shifts to a smart card-based system.

The Delhi government has set up 50 authorised centres across the city to issue Pink Saheli smart cards.

Who can apply for the Saheli Pink Smart Card?

The card is available to women and transgender residents of Delhi who are 5 years of age or above.

For issuing the card, applicants need to provide:

Physical Aadhaar card

Mobile number linked to Aadhaar

Name and other details required for verification

The first card is issued free of cost. If the card is lost or damaged, a replacement costs ₹59, inclusive of GST. The card is valid for five years from the date of issuance.

How can you apply for the Pink Smart Card?

Delhi women can obtain the card through two application methods.

Offline application: Applicants can visit a DTC centre, DM office, or SDM office. They need to provide their name, mobile number, and Aadhaar details to the concerned FOS agent for onboarding. Once the OTP verification is completed, the card is issued on the same day.

Online self-onboarding: Applicants can register through MufinPay by entering their mobile number and Aadhaar details and completing OTP-based verification. After successful registration, they can download the QR acknowledgement and collect the physical card from an authorised DTC centre.

Where else can the Pink Smart Card be used?

Although the Pink Smart Card provides free travel on DTC and Cluster buses, it can also be used as a mobility card for Delhi Metro and Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) services.

However, metro and RRTS travel is not free under the scheme. Users need to add money to the card before using it for these services.

Money can be added by scanning the QR code printed on the back of the card through a UPI application. To use the balance on the Delhi Metro, the card needs to be topped up through an Add Value Machine (AVM) at a metro station.

(With inputs from news agency PTI)

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