Mandatory Use of Pink Saheli Smart Card for Complimentary Bus Travel

Starting 1 October, every female passenger boarding a Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) or cluster bus must tap a Pink Saheli Smart Card to qualify for the fare‑free concession. The requirement covers both air‑conditioned and conventional buses, and transgender riders remain eligible under the same scheme.

What Prompted the Change?

The smart card, rolled out in March, operates on the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) infrastructure. It replaces the pink paper tickets that will be discontinued after the 30 September deadline set by the Delhi Transport Department. Officials argue that a digital system will boost transparency, simplify record‑keeping, and make passenger verification easier.

Intensified Awareness Campaign

Authorities are stepping up outreach to ensure commuters understand the new rule. Announcements are broadcast at bus depots, inside buses, on social media, and in newspapers. To date, roughly 1.9 million women have already obtained a Pink Saheli card, while the remaining users are being urged to visit the designated registration centres.

Crowds Form at Registration Hubs

The surge in demand has turned several depots into waiting‑room marathons. On a recent Sunday, lengthy queues stretched 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 process begins with a token and a paper slip bearing a registration number. Applicants are called in order, 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 spent three hours on Sunday after a fruitless visit the previous day, still unsure when her turn would come.
  • Rajkumari, an elderly commuter, was allowed to move ahead and received her card, but her daughter‑in‑law remained stuck in 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 Issuance Process

The overwhelming number of applications has exposed bottlenecks in the card‑issuance workflow. Passengers are urging the government to speed up registration, increase issuance capacity, and possibly launch 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 stays within reach for the city’s women without unnecessary hassle.