Pink Saheli card roll out hit by persistent glitches; paper tickets remain in use across city
Delhi's transition to the Pink Saheli smart card for free bus travel for women has faced implementation challenges, including technical glitches and passenger confusion. Authorities are allowing paper tickets temporarily until October 10 to ease the transition.
Why it matters
Illustrates the challenges of digitizing public services and the impact on urban mobility for vulnerable populations.
Women passengers in the Capital now need National Common Mobility Cards (NCMC) or Pink Saheli smart cards for free travel across both Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses, following the transport department’s September 30 deadline for paper tickets. However, conductors continue to issue paper tickets to passengers who travel without cards, are unaware of the rule, or face persistent card glitches.
Launched in March following its announcement in the previous year’s Delhi budget, the Pink Saheli card replaces the flexible paper-ticket system for women and transgender persons. According to the department, over 70 centres established at bus depots and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) offices citywide have issued cards to over 19 lakh women so far.
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