NEW DELHI: There is good news for women in Delhi ahead of the New Year, as their long wait for the Pink Saheli Smart Card for free travel in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses is set to end.
The Delhi government is preparing to roll out the project by starting the distribution of smart cards from the first week of January to eligible women residing in the national capital.
According to sources, after a prolonged process, the Delhi Transport Department has finalised Airtel Payments Bank and Muffin Payments Bank to issue the smart cards.
Sources said the government is all set to open counters in various parts of Delhi soon after the end of this year to distribute the Pink Saheli Smart Cards.
At these counters, women will be able to get the Pink Saheli Card made by showing their Delhi Aadhaar card as proof of identity. DTC officials said that the selected banks will issue three types of smart cards for bus passengers.
Banks have been instructed to open counters at district magistrate offices, sub divisional magistrate offices, bus depots and common service centres Jan Suvidha Kendras so that women do not face any difficulty in obtaining the card.
The complete responsibility for opening the counters will rest with the banks. The process will begin from the first week of January and, if everything goes as planned, the scheme may be launched anytime after January 14.
The first will be the Pink Saheli Card, which will be issued exclusively to women residents of Delhi. This card will be mandatory for girls and women aged 12 years and above.
After receiving the card, women will be able to travel free of cost by tapping the card on the electronic ticketing machine with the bus conductor. Currently, around two crore women travel by buses in Delhi every month.
The second card will be meant for bus pass holders in various special categories, including persons with disabilities, senior citizens, sportspersons, war widows, national award winners and more than 12 other categories.
The third will be a general smart card, which any bus passenger can obtain. This card will work like a Metro card and, under full KYC norms, will include the passenger’s name and photograph.
According to sources, a minimum payment of Rs 120 will be required, after which the card can be recharged for travel. This card can also be used on the Delhi Metro.
According to the Delhi government, women will not need to take a ticket on buses after showing the Pink Saheli Smart Card. As soon as the card is tapped on the electronic ticketing machine with the conductor, the journey will be recorded.
This is expected to eliminate ticket queues, paperwork and the daily hassle of buying tickets. The government said this would be an unlimited free travel facility, directly benefiting working women, female students and elderly women.
For applying, an Aadhaar card with a Delhi address will be the most important document. Along with this, a residence proof, an identity document such as a PAN card or voter ID, a passport size photograph and a mobile number will be mandatory.
The mobile number will be used for OTP verification and registration. The government has clearly stated that this card will be issued only to women residents of Delhi.
In November this year, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had introduced the Pink Saheli Smart Card. Gupta had made the announcement in a post on X, saying,
"The Delhi government has launched the 'Pink Saheli Smart Card' for women and transgenders. Now, daughters, sisters, and mothers above 12 years of age will be able to travel free and conveniently on DTC and cluster buses," Gupta said on X.
"This initiative is a significant step towards making travel easier for women in Delhi, promoting the use of public transport, and providing more facilities and respect to women's power," the post had further read.