No more rose petals? Delhi women may need 'Pink Saheli' smart card for free bus rides from Friday

The Delhi government is not expected to continue the paper-based ‘pink ticket’ system for women passengers in Delhi Transport Corporation buses. From Friday, women may have to use ‘Pink Saheli’ smart cards to avail free bus travel.

The transport department had earlier announced that smart cards will be made mandatory for women passengers seeking free travel in DTC buses from October 1.

“Tomorrow (Friday) the government will issue a notification after which the Pink Saheli card will be mandatory for the users. Nearly 19 lakh cards have been issued so far, which is a decent number,” Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said.

Earlier, the government provided several extensions to pink ticket facilities.

“We will run an intensive awareness campaign for the next 10 days, asking women commuters to get Pink Saheli cards for free bus travel. Until then, we will ensure that passengers are not inconvenienced,” said a senior DTC official.

Read also | Delhi Government Launches Pink Saheli Smart Card: Who Can Benefit? Everything you need to know

Officials said the paper-based rose ticket system is being phased out as the government moves to a chip-based system.

The Delhi government has set up 50 authorized centers across the city to issue Pink Saheli smart cards.

Who can apply for a Saheli Pink Smart Card?

The card is available to female and transgender residents of Delhi who are above 5 years of age.

To issue a card, applicants must provide:

Aadhaar linked mobile number

Name and other information required for verification

The first card is issued free of charge. If the card is lost or damaged, a replacement will be charged ₹59, inclusive of GST. The card is valid for five years from the date of issue.

Read also | Delhi Government to launch new ‘Saheli Samanvay Kendra’ program for women empowerment

How can you apply for a pink chip card?

Delhi women can get the card through two ways of application.

Offline Application: Applicants can visit DTC Centre, DM Office or SDM Office. They need to provide their name, mobile number and Aadhaar details to the concerned FOS agent for registration. Once the OTP verification is completed, the card is issued on the same day.

Online self-onboarding: Applicants can enroll through MufinPay by entering their mobile number and Aadhaar details and completing OTP based verification. After successful registration, they can download the QR confirmation and collect the physical card from the authorized DTC center.

Where else can the pink chip card be used?

While the Pink Smart Card provides free travel in DTC and Cluster buses, it can also be used as a mobility card for Metro and Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) services in Delhi.

However, metro and RRTS travel is not free under this system. Users must add money to the card before using it for these services.

Money can be added by scanning the QR code printed on the back of the card through the UPI app. To use the balance in Delhi Metro, the card needs to be recharged through an Value Added Machine (AVM) at a metro station.

(With inputs from news agency PTI)