Over 8L women shift to Delhi’s digital free bus travel scheme

Delhi’s free bus travel scheme for women is undergoing a digital shift, with over 8.4 lakh women and transgender residents now issued ‘Pink Saheli NCMC Smart Cards’ that will eventually replace the city’s pink paper tickets.

Announcing the milestone on Tuesday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the Delhi Government was expanding the ‘Pink Saheli Smart Card’ initiative as part of efforts to make public transport safer, smarter and more accessible for women.

Officials said 8,40,618 cards had been issued till May 18 through 73 distribution centres across Delhi, including DTC pass sections, DM and SDM offices and special registration camps being organised in residential colonies and government offices.

The NCMC-enabled ‘Tap-and-Go’ cards allow women and transgender residents above the age of five years to travel free on DTC buses without requiring paper tickets. Passengers can tap the card on ETM machines, with journeys recorded digitally.

The government said the cards, launched under the Centre’s ‘One Nation, One Card’ initiative, are currently being issued free of cost through Aadhaar verification and mobile number linkage under a Zero-KYC process.

Gupta described the scheme as more than a free travel facility, saying it provides women a dignified and secure travel experience while helping create a technology-driven commuting system in the Capital.

“When public transport becomes safe and accessible, opportunities for women in education, employment and self-dependence naturally increase,” she said.

Officials said the smart card system is also expected to integrate with Delhi Metro, Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) and other transport services in the future once topped up for payments.

According to the Delhi Government, both pink paper tickets and smart cards remain valid at present, but the free travel facility will eventually shift entirely to the digital card-based system.

The government claimed the scheme had reduced commuting costs for women, with estimates suggesting savings of Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,400 per month for regular commuters.