New Delhi, Aug 31: In a relief to thousands of women commuters, the Delhi government has extended the use of paper-based pink tickets for free travel on DTC and cluster buses until September 17.
The extension gives eligible women additional time to continue using the existing system while preparing to shift to the Pink Saheli Smart Card, which is set to replace paper tickets for availing the free-travel benefit.
The government had earlier planned to end the paper-ticket facility on August 31. The latest extension is intended to ensure that women commuters are not inconvenienced during the transition to the smart-card system.
The decision is particularly significant for women who depend on buses for their daily commute to work, colleges, markets, healthcare facilities and other destinations. For regular passengers, free bus travel can substantially reduce monthly transportation expenses.
Under the revised timeline, the Pink Saheli Smart Card will become mandatory for eligible women seeking free bus travel after September 17. The government has been gradually moving away from the paper-based system in favour of a digital mechanism.
The smart-card system is expected to make the scheme more organised by allowing the authorities to maintain digital records of beneficiaries and monitor the use of the free-travel facility more efficiently.
The Delhi government has also established authorised centres across the city to facilitate the issuance of Pink Saheli cards. Earlier, around 18 lakh cards had reportedly been distributed as authorities prepared for the transition.
For women commuters, the extension means the shift to the new system will not immediately disrupt their daily travel. They can continue using the pink-ticket facility while completing the process of obtaining the smart card.
The move also highlights the government’s effort to balance affordable public transport with a gradual shift towards digital ticketing. Rather than ending the benefit itself, the change focuses on replacing the paper-based method used to access it.
With September 17 now set as the extended deadline, women who regularly use the free bus service have additional time to make the transition and avoid any disruption once the smart-card system becomes mandatory.
