Women in Delhi are about to receive an advance gift for Bhai Dooj, which will make their travel on government buses convenient. The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) will soon introduce a smart card for women.
This card will allow them to travel for free on Delhi’s government buses. Currently, they have to purchase a zero-value pink ticket to travel for free. Once the card is launched, they will be relieved of this hassle. This card will also be valid for transgender passengers.
Officials say it will be launched soon after Diwali, possibly on Bhai Dooj, upon Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s approval. They added that preparations for the scheme are nearly complete, and card-reading machines have been installed in most buses.
‘Saheli Smart Card’ will replace Pink Ticket
This new digital card will be known as the “Saheli Smart Card.” A transport department official said, “Our backend integration for the Pink Smart Card has been completed.” This smart card will replace the pink paper tickets currently in use, which the Delhi government introduced in 2019 on the occasion of Bhai Dooj and made bus travel free for women.
How will this smart card work?
This smart card will serve as a permanent travel pass and is considered a major step towards digitizing public transportation access in the city. It was reported that this smart card will be valid for life, allowing women to travel free on Delhi government buses without any restrictions on time or usage. However, this facility will be limited to women residents of Delhi only.
Women can get such Saheli cards
Women will need to register online through the DTC portal to receive the Saheli smart card. Cards will only be issued after complete KYC verification by a designated bank. The Transport Department has clarified that no cards will be issued directly at DTC counters.
Officials said that after being activated through DTC’s automated fare collection system, women passengers will now be able to travel without paper tickets, just by tapping the card.
