Pink Saheli Card Mandatory For Free Bus Travel For Women Delhi Transport Corporation

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has said women availing free service on the capital's buses are required to carry their Pink Saheli smart card instead of the existing “pink slip” in order to continue travelling on buses free of cost. The latest circular issued by the DTC gives a timeline of the corporation's decision to ultimately phase out the current paper-based system.

In continuation of the free bus travel policy, it has been decided to gradually phase out the existing paper-based pink ticket and shift to the smart-card based system, the notice says. As per news agency PTI, officials said this transition is meant to enable touch-free travel, maintain digital travel records, and improve transparency in revenue accounting.

Bus conductors have been instructed to continue issuing pink tickets as per the existing practice to passengers up until July 31. Starting from August 1, pink tickets will only be issued to passengers who have the smart card with them at the time of boarding and travel.

Those found travelling without the smart card will be required to buy a regular ticket and pay normal fare for their travel August 1 onwards.

The DTC notice reveals that a special drive has been launched by the Delhi government across DTC-operated buses to inform passengers about the change and allow them sufficient time to make the necessary shift.

All enforcement staff and conductors have been instructed to politely convey this information to those without a smart card so that they may visit the nearest designated Pink Card or Pass Distribution Centre and issue the alternative, subject to their eligibility, before July 31.

The smart card was originally launched by President Droupadi Murmu at a state government event in March in order to allow women and transgender residents of Delhi to travel free of cost in DTC buses. The cards are linked to the beneficiary's Aadhaar and mobile numbers in order to verify their age, gender and Delhi residency.

Subsequently, it may also be used by paying regular fare charges at other modes of public transport such as the Delhi Metro and the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) under the ‘one nation, one card’ initiative.

As per news agency PTI, 11 lakh cards have been issued so far, despite only being used by 10-15% of travellers. The government aims to raise this tally to 13 lakh by the end of July.

Stuti Gupta is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, where she is a part of the General News team, tasked with reporting on happenings across the country impacting domestic as well as international ecospheres. In her role at HT, she is responsible for keeping a track of incoming news updates, packaging stories and publishing them in a format best suited to their purpose. She holds a Bachelor’s in Mass Communication and Journalism from St Xavier’s, Mumbai and is partial towards working on international affairs. Apart from her interest in the geopolitical world, she is a keen reader, writer, orator, debater and learner who loves picking up new information. She has been recognized for her previous literary work at the international level with a Gold Finalist, Gold and Silver Award in various participating years at the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition along with winning the third prize and getting her story published in Children’s World in 2017. Barring academic and professional pursuits, she has a passion for travelling to new places, exploring new cultures and cuisines, documenting them through words and pictures and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. She is also an avid enthusiast of studying art forms such as cinema, dance, theatre and music as a tool for cultural storytelling and actively participates in them.Read More