Pink tickets to continue till Sept. 17; Saheli cards mandatory thereafter, say officials
The Delhi Transport Department will end the 'pink ticket' free travel scheme for women on September 17, transitioning to a mandatory 'Pink Saheli' smart card system. Officials report high adoption rates, though political opposition has criticized the management of the previous scheme.
Why it matters
This shift impacts public transit accessibility for millions of women in Delhi and reflects ongoing political debates regarding government welfare schemes.
The Delhi Transport Department has announced September 17 as the last day for women commuters to avail of free travel on DTC and cluster buses using the ‘pink tickets’ system. After this, the scheme will not be extended, an official said.
Delhi women will need a Pink Saheli National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) from September 18 onward to travel for free while non-resident women will have to pay for tickets.
The NCMC cards were launched on March 2 to enable paperless, free travel for women in Delhi, replacing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s ‘pink tickets’ scheme.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has alleged that the AAP-era scheme has been “marred by corruption and that the panic buttons were installed just for show”.
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