Over 8 lakh women get Pink Saheli Smart Cards for free bus travel: CM Rekha Gupta

Delhi has issued more than 8.4 lakh Pink Saheli Smart Cards to women commuters. The rollout signals a shift towards fully digital free travel on DTC buses and wider access through city camps.

In Short

• Cards use NCMC tap-and-go technology for seamless free bus travel access
• Pink paper tickets remain valid now, but smart cards will replace them
• Registration camps in colonies and offices are easing applications for commuters

More than 8.4 lakh women in Delhi have received the government’s ‘Pink Saheli Smart Card’, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Tuesday, calling it a major step towards making public transport safer, smarter and more accessible for women.

The smart cards, which use National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) tap-and-go technology, allow women and transgender persons to travel free on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses.

“As of May 18, a total of 840,618 ‘Pink Saheli Smart Cards’ have been issued. Currently, both the pink paper tickets and the pink cards remain valid; however, in the near future, the free travel facility will be accessible exclusively through the Pink Smart Card,” Gupta said.

The chief minister said the initiative reflects growing confidence among women in Delhi’s public transport network and increased participation in the system.

“The achievement reflects not only the growing popularity of the scheme, but also the increasing trust women in Delhi are placing in the city’s public transport system,” she said.

Gupta added that the Delhi government is pushing to modernise transport services through digital governance and technology-driven systems aimed at improving transparency, efficiency and passenger safety.

To speed up distribution of the cards, the government has launched a city-wide registration campaign. Camps are currently being organised across residential colonies and government offices to simplify the application process for women commuters.

According to the government, Pink Saheli Smart Cards are presently being distributed through 73 centres across Delhi. These include 36 DTC pass sections, 17 district magistrate and sub-divisional magistrate offices, and 20 special registration camps. More distribution points are expected to be added depending on local demand.

Gupta said the camps would continue across the city in the coming weeks.

In March this year, Droupadi Murmu officially launched the Pink National Common Mobility (PNCM) card initiative.

“The government’s goal is to transform Delhi’s public transport system into one that is completely women-friendly, smart and world-class,” Gupta said.

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With inputs from PTI