Women commuters in the national capital will have to adopt a digital travel system as the Delhi government has announced that the Pink Saheli Smart Card will be required to take free bus travel on Delhi government-operated buses from August 1. This is a major change from the old paper ticket-based system to the new technology-based travel system to make public transport more efficient, transparent, and convenient for travel.
With the introduction of the free bus travel scheme for women, lakhs of people have benefited from that. With the help of this program, people can go to their workplaces, educational institutions, medical facilities, and other essential services.
The new program will be able to improve the comfort of passengers by allowing faster boarding of the bus and the tracking of passenger data in the system. Women must complete registration before the new rules are implemented, according to the authorities. If the card is not received by the deadline, regular tickets will be issued until they are enrolled in the new system.
The Pink Saheli Smart Card is a contactless digital travel pass, which replaces the pink paper tickets women passengers have already purchased. The digital system will help reduce ticketing errors, eliminate the need for paper tickets, and thus help in transparency in the implementation of the welfare scheme, the officials said. It will also allow transport authorities to collect valuable travel data that can be used to improve route planning, bus frequency, and passenger services in the city.
The smart card initiative is part of Delhi's vision of urban public transport transformation through digital governance and technology-enabled services.
Smart ticketing systems similar to this have been implemented in numerous other cities worldwide to make commuting better for people as well. If we have one travel card for the Delhi government and we have a dedicated travel card, we can make the boarding process of the bus less cumbersome and reduce the waiting time at bus stops for tickets, while at the same time reducing the cost of printing and distributing millions of paper tickets each month.
The free bus travel scheme itself is a tool for women to gain mobility and financial independence and travel times to and from the city to work. What's more, for students, working professionals, domestic workers, senior citizens, and women from poorer areas of society, transportation expenditure accounts for a significant portion of our monthly budget.
Easing public transport access has also led to a higher percentage of women taking part in education, work, and social activities. The Pink Saheli Smart Card will preserve this and make the whole system more efficient. The card would be issued with sufficient identification documents and eligibility for the Delhi Transport Department.
A government agency will likely offer registration online and offline so that women from all walks of life can apply for the card. It may also have technical help desks and registration centres to assist those with limited knowledge of digital services.
The government has urged commuters not to wait until the last minute but to get the enrolment process completed and use online registration prior to August 1 to ensure easy access to the free transport and stable access to the free transport.
मुख्यमंत्री रेखा गुप्ता जी के नेतृत्व में महिलाओं की हर यात्रा आसान और हर मंजिल पास हुई है
— ocean jain (@ocjain4) July 27, 2026
15 लाख से अधिक सहेली पिंक स्मार्ट कार्ड ने मुफ्त बस यात्रा का सपना साकार किया है
इससे लड़कियों की शिक्षा और महिलाओं के रोजगार तक पहुंच बहुत सरल हो गई है
यह सिर्फ यात्रा नहीं बल्कि महिलाओं… pic.twitter.com/DFJo1FnURy
Transport experts believe the digital ticketing systems are good for accountability and reduce abuse, and it is also the way to have a more efficient public transport system. They also enable authorities to gain insight into how passengers are travelling and to make better decisions on transport use, how to optimize the services, and future transport infrastructure based on reliable data.
With Delhi investing in new transport technologies and innovative transport infrastructure, the introduction of the Pink Saheli Smart Card is yet another step towards making public transport more accessible and inclusive for women in Delhi. Women commuters should be aware of the application process and complete all the documents before August 1 so they can continue using their buses free of charge and travel without disruption in the new digital system.
