Women availing Delhi’s free bus travel facility will now have to use the Pink Saheli Smart Card, as the government has made the smart card mandatory, replacing the existing paper-based Pink Ticket system.
Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said around 19 lakh Pink Saheli Cards have already been issued. According to PTI, the government is unlikely to extend the paper-based Pink Ticket facility further.
The move has replaced the paper Pink Ticket with a digital smart card for free journeys on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses.
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What is the Pink Saheli Smart Card?
The Pink Saheli Card is a digital smart card being introduced for women using Delhi’s free DTC bus travel facility. It will replace the existing paper-based Pink Ticket with a digital system.
Explaining the move, Singh said the government had developed the system to ensure that women do not have to go through the process of obtaining pink tickets on DTC buses.
The minister also said the card would offer several benefits, comparing its features to those of a debit card.
Around 19 lakh cards already issued:
The Delhi government has already distributed a significant number of Pink Saheli Cards ahead of the transition.
According to Singh, around 19 lakh cards have been made and distributed to women. He said women would soon begin using the cards under the new system.
“I hope this initiative will be successful and the women will utilise these cards and benefit from them,” Singh said.
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Who is eligible for the Pink Saheli Card?
The card is available to Delhi-resident women, girls and transgender persons aged five years and above.
Applicants need to have Aadhaar and an Aadhaar-linked mobile number to obtain the card.
How to apply for the Pink Saheli Card?
The Delhi government has established 50 authorised centres across the city for issuing the smart cards.
Eligible applicants can register online and take the generated QR code to an authorised centre. They can also apply directly at a designated distribution centre.
Pink Saheli Card cost:
The first Pink Saheli Smart Card is free for eligible applicants.
In case a duplicate card is required, applicants will have to pay a fee of Rs 49.
The new smart card system is intended to replace the paper-based Pink Ticket and become the mechanism through which eligible commuters access Delhi’s free DTC bus travel facility.