Delhi To Introduce ‘Saheli Smart Card’ for Women, Transgenders To Avail Free Bus Travel

Delhi government will be rolling out the 'Saheli Smart Card' for women and transgender people, allowing them to travel the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses for free of cost. According to sources, the Saheli Smart Card scheme is expected to be rolled out on August 15, Independence Day. The scheme is meant to replace the 'Pink Ticket' system which was launched by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government. Pink passes were given to the resident women of Delhi and bus operators were compensated according to the number of tickets sold.

According to the source, Women and transgender persons residing in Delhi aged 12 and above will be able to travel free of cost on DTC and Cluster buses. The 'Pink Ticket' scheme was launched by AAP in 2019. According to the Delhi government's own data, a total of 100 crore pink tickets had been issued to women till the end of January 2023. By November 2024, over 150 crore pink tickets were issued. "In 2022, free travel for women via Pink tickets contributed to nearly 32 per cent of the total number of passengers travelling in a month," the statement said.

"In 2019-20, Delhi buses had a ridership of more than 160 crores. Due to COVID in the years 2020 and 2021, it dropped to 71 crores in 2020-21, slightly recovering to 93 crores in 2021-22. Since April 2022 till today, it has reached nearly 125 crores, almost 75 per cent of the pre covid numbers," the statement added. However on March 29, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government had claimed that the scheme had been mismanaged, along with the whole Delhi Transport Corporation, which led to a loss of Rs 70,471 crore. Delhi CM said in the Assembly that,"They (AAP) turned a profitable department into a loss-making one. DTC suffered a loss of Rs 70,471 crore. There was an operational loss of Rs 14,198 crore. Buses were run on only 468 routes out of 814. Money was spent only on advertisements. Even the Rs 233 crore received from the Centre was not spent. There used to be 4344 buses, but during their tenure, the number reduced to 3937,"

CM Rekha Gupta was referencing a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) which suggested that due to the government's mismanagement and negligence, crores of rupees from Delhi taxpayers have been wasted. This report is now being referred to the Committee on Government Undertakings with instructions to submit its report within three months.

What documents are required?

1. Aadhaar card
2. PAN card
3. Proof of residence in Delhi
4. Passport size photograph
5. Any other document required under bank-specific KYC regulations

The Delhi government in its communication to banks and financial institutions has invited expressions of interest for issuing these cards. It said that these cards will usher in a new era of safe, accessible and paperless public transport for women and transgenders in the city. The official further clarified that the government will not charge passengers for the travel, but the issuing banks may levy a nominal card issuance or maintenance fee as per their policies.

What if you lose your card?

If the card is lost, users will have to report it to the issuing bank, which may provide a replacement as per its terms and conditions. The card will have to be activated through DTC's Automated Fare Collection System (AFCS) before use. Though the card can be used on other transit systems after topping it up, the benefit of free travel under the scheme is restricted to DTC and cluster buses. "No cards will be issued directly by DTC. The registration is completely online through the DTC portal, and cards are issued only after full KYC verification by the selected bank," the official said. The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) operates 44 depots in Delhi and one in Noida, with an active fleet of 3,266 buses, including 1,950 electric and 1,694 CNG buses.

During her Budget Day address in March, chief minister Rekha Gupta criticised the previous system of issuing pink paper tickets to women, calling it a major source of corruption under the previous administration. She announced that a new digital system through the Saheli smart card would replace paper tickets, allowing women to travel safely and conveniently using personalised digital cards.