NEW DELHI: The Delhi government is likely to extend the pink ticket facility for women travelling on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses till August 15, senior officials said on Friday, giving commuters more time to obtain the mandatory ‘Pink Saheli’ smart card.
Under an earlier direction issued by the Transport Department, the ‘Pink Saheli’ smart card was to become mandatory from August. However, officials said the government now plans to continue the paper-based pink ticket facility for another two weeks. “We plan to extend the pink ticket facility till August 15 to give women commuters more time to obtain the ‘Pink Saheli’ smart card,” a senior official said.
So far, around 17 lakh cards have been distributed across the city. The government aims to increase this number by the end of August, after which the smart card is expected to become mandatory. Concerned over the slow adoption of the card, the DTC has launched a special awareness drive on its buses, urging eligible women passengers to obtain the card.
Officials said the government has decided to gradually phase out the existing paper-based pink ticket and replace it with the smart card system for availing free bus travel. Eligible women can obtain the ‘Pink Saheli’ smart card from notified centres and authorised counters as per the directions issued by the Transport Department and the DTC. The Delhi government has set up 50 authorised centres across the city for issuing the smart cards.
The National Common Mobility Card-based smart card uses Tap-and-Go technology, allowing women and transgender persons to travel free on DTC buses by simply tapping the card on Electronic Ticketing Machine devices.