Delhi govt to end paper-based pink ticket for free travel from August

New DelhiWomen passengers seeking to avail of free travel on Delhi buses will have to use the Saheli Smart Cards from August 1, the Delhi government announced on Friday

New Delhi

Registration and issuance of the cards will continue even after the July 31 deadline through designated DTC depots and special camps. (Vipin Kumar/HT File Photo)

Women passengers seeking to avail of free travel on Delhi buses will have to use the Saheli Smart Cards from August 1, the Delhi government announced on Friday. Delhi transport minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh on Friday said the validity of the paper-based pink tickets will end on July 31, as part of a planned phase-out, for travel in cluster buses and Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) ones.

Around 1.5 million Saheli Smart Cards have been issued so far, the minister said, urging eligible persons to register for the same at the earliest.

“The free bus travel facility for Delhi’s women will continue uninterrupted. There is no reason for anyone to panic. Pink tickets will remain valid until July 31, and from August 1, women possessing the Pink Saheli Smart Card will continue to travel free of cost,” the minister said.

The transition to the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)-based system is aimed at making the scheme more transparent, efficient and technology-driven, while improving beneficiary management and accountability. With the phasing out of pink tickets, only women residents of Delhi, who have Pink Saheli cards, will be able to avail of free travel on DTC buses, officials said.

The minister clarified that there is no deadline for obtaining the Pink Saheli Smart Card. Registration and issuance of the cards will continue even after the July 31 deadline through designated DTC depots and special camps to ensure that no eligible beneficiary is left out.

DTC officials also confirmed that operational directions have been issued to phase out paper-based pink tickets starting August 1.

The Delhi government said the new system would enable seamless delivery of benefits while strengthening monitoring and transparency in the implementation of the free bus travel scheme. Launched on March 2 under the Centre’s “One Nation, One Card” initiative, the smart card is issued free of cost through a zero-KYC process linked to Aadhaar and mobile number verification. The scheme is open to all women and transgender residents of Delhi above the age of five.