Tap To Ride Free: Delhi Women To Need Pink Smart Cards On DTC Buses From July

Under the revamped system, eligible women residents of Delhi will have to tap their Pink Saheli Smart Card on an electronic machine while boarding buses, with each journey recorded digitally. Officials say this will streamline subsidies, curb misuse of pink tickets and generate better data on women’s ridership patterns for future transport planning.

What Changes From July

End Of Paper Pink Tickets

The pink ticket system, introduced in 2019, will be phased out from July 2026, after a short transition period during which both tickets and smart cards were accepted. Post-July, tapping the Pink Saheli Smart Card will be the only way for women to travel free on DTC and cluster buses.

Who Can Get The Pink Saheli Card

Eligibility And Documents

The free-travel smart card is available only to women who are residents of Delhi, including girls aged 12 years and above. Applicants must provide a Delhi Aadhaar card and an Aadhaar-linked mobile number, and can apply at DTC depots, SDM offices and over 50 designated counters set up across the city.

How The Smart Card Works

Tap-In, Digital Record, Wider Use

Once issued, the QR-based PVC Pink Saheli Smart Card must be tapped at the bus validator to register each free trip, creating a digital record that supports transparent reimbursement to operators. As an NCMC-compliant card, it can also be recharged and used like a regular mobility card on other platforms such as the Delhi Metro and RRTS in the future.

Policy And Commuter Impact

Cleaner Data, Tighter Targeting

Transport officials say shifting to smart cards will reduce corruption and leakages associated with paper tickets, improve real-time monitoring of usage and ensure that only eligible Delhi-based women benefit from the scheme. The Delhi government has earmarked about ₹450 crore in the 2026–27 Budget to continue funding free bus rides for women under the new digital framework.

Smart Travel Highlights

• Pink Saheli Smart Card mandatory for women’s free DTC and cluster bus travel from July
• Paper pink tickets to be fully phased out after the transition period
• Scheme restricted to Delhi-resident women aged 12 and above with Delhi Aadhaar and linked mobile
• Each free trip must be ‘tapped in’ so subsidies are digitally tracked and settled
• Cards are NCMC-based and can double up as broader mobility cards across compatible transit systems

Sources: Times Of India, NDTV Hindi explainer, Economic Times, Hindustan Times, DTC/Delhi govt statements