Counters for obtaining the cards will be set up at all Delhi bus depots, SDM offices, metro stations, and specially designated camps.
New Delhi: The Delhi government is taking a major step towards modernizing and making the public transport system more transparent. From 2026, the pink tickets currently given to women traveling on Delhi buses will be discontinued and replaced by a high-tech ‘Pink Saheli Smart Card’.
Delhi Government Initiative
This initiative by the Delhi government is a significant step towards completely digitizing the transport department. Currently, the pink ticket system is used to track women’s travel, but it faces challenges such as data accuracy and paper wastage. The new system will be based on the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) model. This will provide bus passengers with a ‘tap and go’ facility similar to the metro card, speeding up crowd management and ticketing processes on buses.
Introduction Of Three Smart Cards
The transport department is preparing a plan not only for women but for all passengers.
The department will launch smart cards in three categories:
Pink Saheli Card: This card will be exclusively for women and transgender individuals in Delhi, granting them the right to completely free travel.
Orange Smart Card: This card will be for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and students who avail of concessional passes.
General Blue Smart Card: This card will be for general passengers, who can recharge it like a MetroCard and use it for payments on buses.
Aadhaar Card Is Mandatory
The most important condition for the new smart card is eligibility. Until now, every woman traveling on Delhi buses received a free ticket, regardless of their place of residence in the country. However, for the Pink Saheli card, a Delhi Aadhaar card and a local Delhi address will be mandatory. The government believes that this will ensure that the benefits of Delhi taxpayers’ money go directly to the residents of Delhi. The KYC (Know Your Customer) process will have to be completed while applying for the card, with Aadhaar being a mandatory document.
Pink Saheli Smart Card Will Be Available From…
According to government preparations, registration for these smart cards is expected to begin in January 2026. According to media reports, the government may formally launch the scheme around January 14. Counters for obtaining the cards will be set up at all Delhi bus depots, SDM offices, metro stations, and specially designated camps. Once implemented, the old pink ticket system will be completely discontinued.
