Pink Saheli Card: These women will no longer be able to travel for free on Delhi buses; know the new rule..
If you travel by bus in Delhi, this news is relevant to you. A major rule regarding free travel for women on Delhi's DTC and Cluster buses is set to change starting August 16, 2026. From that date, the 'Pink Saheli Smart Card' will be mandatory for women to avail of free travel on these buses. Until now, women have been traveling for free using 'Pink Tickets,' but this facility will be completely discontinued after August 15; only women possessing the 'Pink Saheli Smart Card' will be eligible for free travel.
Consequently, if you do not have the Pink Saheli Card, you will not be able to travel for free on the bus starting August 16. You will have to purchase a regular ticket by paying the prescribed fare.
What changes on August 16?
A significant change is coming to the rules governing free bus travel for women in Delhi. From August 16, only female passengers holding a Pink Saheli Smart Card will be entitled to free travel. Women must tap their Pink Saheli Card upon boarding the bus to avail of the free travel facility.
Discontinuation of the Pink Ticket facility
Currently, women can travel for free on Delhi's DTC and Cluster buses using a Pink Ticket. However, this facility will remain valid only until August 15. The Delhi government has decided to discontinue the Pink Ticket after August 15 to promote the Pink Saheli Smart Card. According to earlier directives issued by the Transport Department, the Pink Saheli Smart Card will become mandatory from August 16.
Must one pay the fare without the card?
If a woman does not possess a Pink Saheli Smart Card from August 16 onwards, she will not be eligible for free travel. Such passengers will have to purchase a regular ticket at the applicable fare to travel on DTC or Cluster buses. This clearly means that carrying the Pink Saheli Card will be essential to avail of free bus travel starting August 16.
Women from outside Delhi will not be eligible for free travel
The 'Pink Saheli' smart card is linked to the free bus travel facility for eligible female passengers in Delhi. Consequently, female passengers arriving from outside Delhi or from other states will not be able to avail of free bus travel. Women who do not possess a Pink Saheli card will be required to pay the prescribed fare starting August 16; therefore, tapping the smart card upon boarding the bus has been made mandatory.
Lakhs of women have already received the Pink Card
The Delhi government is already facilitating the issuance of Pink Saheli smart cards to women. Lakhs of these cards have been distributed so far to ensure that the maximum number of eligible women can benefit from free bus travel. An earlier order issued by the DTC stated that from August 16, 'pink tickets' would be issued only to female passengers holding a valid Pink Saheli smart card.
Pink Card camps to remain closed on August 15
If you are planning to get a Pink Saheli card made on August 15, please note that all DTC Pink Card camps will remain closed on that day due to Independence Day. The DTC has announced that, as the camps will be closed on Saturday, cards will not be issued on that day. Therefore, women should not visit the camps on August 15 to get the card made.
Mandatory to tap the card, not just show it, starting August 16
From August 16, women must tap their Pink Saheli card on the system installed in the bus to avail of free travel. This means that simply obtaining the card is not enough; carrying it with you during the journey is also mandatory.
Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from NDTV India. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.
