No free bus travel for women in Delhi without Pink Saheli smart card from August 1
The Delhi government has announced that starting August 1, 2026, women must use the 'Pink Saheli' smart card to access free bus travel. Paper-based pink tickets will be phased out, and those without the smart card will be required to pay standard fares.
Why it matters
This transition digitizes public transport subsidies, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce potential fraud in the city's transit system.
Woman passengers will not be able to avail free bus service in Delhi from August 1, as the government has made the 'Pink Saheli’ smart card mandatory for such travel, officials said on Friday (July 10, 2026).
Concerned over the slow adoption of the Pink Saheli card by women commuters, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has also launched a special drive across its buses advising women to get the cards, an official statement said.
“With effect from August 1, pink tickets shall be issued only to those women passengers who have a valid Pink Saheli smart card, which they need to tap at the time of boarding. These passengers will continue to avail free bus service as per the terms of the scheme,” the DTC said in its order.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in