Delhi: Nearly 4,000 ‘pink cards’ issued on first day of rollout

DTC launched smart cards for women commuters, replacing pink tickets for free bus rides, with a smooth rollout expected to increase post-Holi.

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) on Tuesday began issuing smart cards to women commuters, replacing the existing pink paper tickets used to avail free bus rides. DTC said it nearly 4,000 cards across various centres on the first day of the roll-out till 5 pm.

Women receiving the pink cards at Scindia House near CP on Tuesday. (Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times)

A spot check by Hindustan Times at several DTC pink card centres found that the process of issuing the new QR code-based cards was largely smooth, with roughly 40–45 cards issued at each centre during the day. Officials added that a bigger rush is expected from Thursday after the Holi celebrations.

DTC officials said the smart card system has been introduced to streamline the free travel scheme for women and reduce reliance on paper tickets, while maintaining a digital record of the number of trips taken. The QR-based PVC card is expected to be more durable than the paper slips and can be used across all NCMC-compliant platforms. Officials said more commuters are likely to apply for the cards in the coming days as awareness about the new system increases.

Officials added that the smart card will gradually replace the pink paper slips currently issued to women passengers for free travel on Delhi government buses. However, no fixed date has been announced for discontinuing the paper slips. The cards can also be recharged and used across other transport platforms as a National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), including travel on the Delhi Metro and the RRTS.

At the counters, applicants were required to provide basic identification details. Officials recorded the commuter’s name, Aadhaar number, and mobile phone number before issuing the card.

“The process is fairly simple. We note down the commuter’s name, Aadhaar number and phone number, and take a photo of the Aadhaar card. Then the card number is recorded against the applicant before handing over the QR-based card,” said a DTC official posted at one of the distribution centres.

According to officials, the cards are being issued through 50 designated centres, including DTC depots and offices of district magistrates. The roll-out will continue in phases to cover all eligible commuters.

Another DTC staff member involved in the registration process said the average time taken to complete the procedure was only a few minutes. “Once the details are verified and entered, the card can be issued quickly. On average, the entire process takes about three to five minutes per person, depending on the queue,” the official said.

Commuters who received the card on Tuesday said the system was straightforward and quicker than expected. Yogita Gupta, a college student who applied for the card at a DTC centre in south-east Delhi, said the process required minimal paperwork.

“They only asked for my Aadhaar number and phone number. I went to get the card on Tuesday because I knew the crowd would increase after Holi, but the process is not time-consuming,” said Gupta, who lives in Kalkaji.