Pink Saheli Smart Card Required for Free Bus Travel

Starting October 1, every female passenger boarding a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) or cluster bus will have to present a Pink Saheli Smart Card to claim the fare‑free benefit. The mandate covers both air‑conditioned and non‑air‑conditioned services, and transgender riders remain eligible under the same provision.

What Prompted the Change?

Introduced in March, the Pink Saheli card runs on the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) platform. It replaces the pink paper tickets that were phased out after the September 30 deadline set by the Delhi Transport Department. Authorities argue that a digital card will boost transparency, simplify record‑keeping, and make passenger verification easier.

Awareness Campaign in Full Swing

The city’s transport officials are stepping up outreach to ensure that commuters are aware of the new rule. Announcements echo through bus depots, are broadcast on buses, and circulate via social‑media, newspapers, and public notice boards. To date, about 1.9 million women have already secured a Pink Saheli card, while the remainder are urged to visit the authorised registration centres.

Lines Stretch Across Multiple Depots

The surge in demand has turned several depots into waiting‑room marathons. On a recent Sunday, lengthy queues snaked through the Shahdara and Hasanpur bus depots, with some applicants arriving as early as 6 a.m.. Many reported spending four to five hours before receiving a card.

The registration routine begins with a token and a paper slip containing a registration number. Applicants are called in order, yet by early afternoon only around 100 cards had been handed out of roughly 250 tokens distributed, leaving a sizable crowd still waiting.

First‑Hand Experiences

  • Geetanjali waited three hours on Sunday after a fruitless visit the previous day, still uncertain when her turn would arrive.
  • Rajkumari, an elderly commuter, was allowed to cut ahead and obtained her card, but her daughter‑in‑law remained stuck in the line.
  • Shaheen was asked by a conductor to show a Pink Saheli Card on the bus, prompting her to join the depot crowd where she endured several additional hours of waiting.

Calls for a Faster Issuance Process

The influx of applications has exposed bottlenecks in the card‑issuance workflow. Commuters are urging the government to speed up registration, expand issuance capacity, and possibly roll out mobile or pop‑up centres to reduce repeated trips and marathon waits.

A smoother system would not only ease the transition from paper tickets to smart cards but also guarantee that the promise of free travel remains truly accessible to Delhi’s women without unnecessary hassle.