Mandatory Pink Saheli Smart Card for Complimentary Bus Travel
Starting 1 October, every female passenger on a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) or cluster bus will have to tap a Pink Saheli Smart Card to claim the fare‑free benefit. The rule covers both AC and non‑AC buses, and transgender riders remain eligible under the same scheme.
What Prompted the Change?
The card, launched in March on the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) platform, replaces the pink paper tickets that were slated for removal after 30 September, as announced by the Delhi Transport Department. Authorities argue that the electronic solution will boost transparency, simplify record‑keeping and make passenger verification easier.
Awareness Campaign in Full Swing
City officials are stepping up outreach to ensure commuters are aware of the new requirement. Announcements echo through bus depots, on board the vehicles, and across social‑media, newspapers and local radio. To date, roughly 1.9 million women have already obtained a Pink Saheli card, and the remaining population is being urged to visit the designated registration points.
Queues Stretching Across Depots
The surge in demand has turned several depots into waiting‑room marathons. On a recent Sunday, lines 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 workflow begins with a token and a paper slip bearing a registration number. Applicants are called in sequence, but by early afternoon only about 100 cards had been issued 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 unsure when her turn would arrive.
- Rajkumari, an elderly rider, was allowed to move ahead and received her card, while 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 more hours of waiting.
Calls for a Faster Process
The influx of applications has exposed bottlenecks in the card‑issuance system. Commuters are urging the government to speed up registration, increase issuing capacity, and perhaps set up mobile or pop‑up centres to cut down on repeat trips and marathon waits.
A smoother system would not only ease the shift from paper tickets to smart cards but also guarantee that the promise of free travel stays within reach for Delhi’s women without unnecessary hassle.
