Delhi government is unlikely to extend the paper-based ‘pink ticket’ facility, making the ‘Pink Saheli’ smart cards mandatory for free travel for women in Delhi Transport Corporation buses.
Earlier, the transport department had announced that Pink Saheli smart cards would be made mandatory for free bus travel from October 1.
“Today (Friday), the government will issue a notification, after which the Pink Saheli card will be made mandatory for users. Nearly 19 lakh cards have been issued till now, which is a good number,” said Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh.
Earlier, the government had given several extensions to the pink ticket facility.
“For the next 10 days, we will run an intensive awareness campaign asking women commuters to get Pink Saheli cards for free bus travel. Till that time, we will ensure that there is no inconvenience to travellers,” a senior DTC official said.
Officials said the paper-based pink ticket system is being gradually phased out as the government shifts to a smart card-based system.
The Delhi government has set up 50 authorised centres across the city to issue Pink Saheli smart cards.
