Govt extends Pink Saheli Smart Card rollout deadline to Aug 16

Delhi govt extends the deadline for mandatory Pink Saheli Smart Card for women availing free travel on DTC buses from August 1 to August 16.

Published on: Aug 1, 2026, 08:00:30 IST

By Snehil Sinha

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New Delhi: The Delhi government on Friday extended the deadline for making the Pink Saheli Smart Card (National Common Mobility Card) for women availing free travel in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses mandatory to August 16.

The extension comes ahead of the earlier August 1 deadline announced through a circular issued on July 10, under which only women carrying a valid card would have been eligible for free travel.

Transport minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said the government had decided to continue issuing pink tickets until August 15 to ensure no eligible commuter faced inconvenience during the transition.

“The extension reflects our commitment to ensuring that no eligible woman commuter faces inconvenience during the transition to the Pink Saheli Smart Card system. We urge all women passengers to obtain their cards before the revised deadline and continue availing the free travel facility seamlessly,” Singh said.

Officials said 1,704,042 cards had been issued as of July 31.

The minister said he has directed depot managers, regional managers and conductors to intensify awareness campaigns and assist women passengers in obtaining the cards before the revised deadline.

According to the government, the Pink Saheli Smart Card is being introduced to transition the free bus travel scheme for women from physical tickets to a smart-card-based, digitally verifiable system.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Snehil Sinha
Snehil Sinha is an Assistant Editor with the Delhi Metro bureau of Hindustan Times, where she reports on politics, governance, public policy, urban infrastructure and transport, subjects that shape the everyday lives of millions in the national capital. Over a journalism career spanning 14 years, she has built a reputation for meticulous, data-driven reporting that combines on-ground perspectives with policy analysis. She began her career with The Indian Express before joining Hindustan Times, where she has reported extensively on civic administration and urban governance in Gurugram, Noida and now Delhi. Her reporting is distinguished by its clarity, depth and balance. Whether covering large-scale infrastructure projects, environmental challenges, transport reforms or government policy, she tries to translate complex administrative decisions into accessible, engaging stories without losing nuance. Her work reflects a strong command of public records, official data and field reporting, often connecting policy announcements with their impact on citizens. Her stories go beyond headlines to explain how governance decisions influence the city's growth, mobility and quality of life, making her work an important contribution to informed public discourse.Read More

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