Delhi to End Pink Bus Tickets on September 17, Pink Saheli Card Required

The Delhi Transport Department has announced that September 17 will be the final day for women commuters to avail of free travel on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses using the paper 'pink tickets' system. Officials confirmed that the scheme will not be extended beyond this deadline.

Beginning September 18, female commuters residing in Delhi will need a Pink Saheli National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) to continue travelling for free. Non-resident women will no longer be eligible for fare waivers and will have to purchase regular tickets.

The NCMC cards were introduced on March 2 to transition the bus network to a paperless ticketing format, replacing the earlier system launched during the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta alleged that the previous scheme had been marred by corruption and claimed panic buttons were installed merely for show.

Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh stated that the smart card initiative has received substantial public interest across the capital. According to the minister, around 19 lakh women have already applied or registered for the Pink Saheli card.

Alongside the announcement, the government confirmed a reduction in the number of distribution centres issuing the cards. The count of active centres has been brought down from 73 to 38. The network had initially operated with 50 centres at the time of the scheme's launch before temporarily expanding to 73.

The mid-September cutoff coincides with a busy festive season in the city, including Janmashtami, Teej, and Ganesh Chaturthi, periods typically marked by increased public transit travel for religious, cultural, and social events.