Delhi to ends pink bus tickets, new smart card rule for women from August 1

2 min readUpdated: Jul 10, 2026 02:35 PM IST

DTC will continue issuing pink tickets to eligible passengers till July 31.

From August 1, women travelling on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses will have to mandatorily carry and tap a “Pink Saheli Smart Card” to continue availing the free bus travel scheme. The decision by the Rekha Gupta government comes as it has decided to phase out the existing paper-based pink tickets.

According to a circular issued by the DTC, paper pink tickets will continue to be issued to eligible women passengers till July 31.

However, from August 1, free travel will be available only to women who possess a valid Pink Saheli Smart Card (NCMC) and tap it while boarding DTC and Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS)-operated cluster buses.

Passengers without the smart card will no longer be issued pink tickets after July 31 and will, instead, have to purchase regular tickets and pay the applicable fare, the circular read.

Officially the "Pink Saheli Smart Card Yojana" — its core mission is women's empowerment, safe travel, and financial support, while digitizing the old paper ticket system to prevent misuse and enable data-driven, better bus services across Delhi.

Card Type

NCMC Smart Card

Tech Partner

Airtel Payments Bank + Muthoot Pay

Launched

2 Mar 2026

Distribution From

3 Mar 2026

CARD INFO ELIGIBILITY

Card Type

NCMC (National Common Mobility Card) Based Digital Smart Card

Technology Partner

Airtel Payments Bank + Muthoot Pay

What's on the Card

Applicant's Name, Photo, QR Code & Basic Details

Where It's Valid

DTC Buses + Cluster Buses (Free) / Delhi Metro (After Recharge)

How to Use

Simply tap the card on the conductor's ETM Machine — Done!

Launch Date

2 March 2026

Distribution Started

3 March 2026 onwards

✓

Applicant must be a Delhi resident (woman or transgender)

✓

Age must be 5 years or above

✓

Must possess a valid ID proof (Aadhaar Card / Voter ID)

✓

Must have a Delhi residential address on the ID proof

All four criteria must be met to apply for the Saheli Pink Card.

Data as of March 2026 · Based on official DTC/Delhi Government Saheli Pink Card scheme details.

How to apply Saheli Pink Card

The Saheli  Pink Card website mentions: “The pink card delhi application process (offline) has started from 3 March 2026. As of now, there is no DTC Pink Card apply online option available — you can only get your card made at DC Offices, SDM Offices, or authorized DTC Centers across Delhi.”

What happens to the tickets issued till July 31?

While the issuing of Pink Paper tickets will stop after July 31, the ones already issued will remain valid until riders get their new DTC Saheli Smart Card. The validity will remain for 3 months.