New Delhi, Aug 17: The Delhi government has extended the validity of paper-based pink tickets for women travelling on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and Delhi Cluster buses till August 31, providing additional time for eligible passengers to obtain the Pink Saheli smart card.The paper-ticket facility was earlier scheduled to end on August 16, with the smart card system expected to become mandatory from August 17.
The extension has been introduced to facilitate a smoother transition to the new system and ensure that women passengers are not inconvenienced. Under the existing scheme, eligible women can travel free of charge on DTC and Delhi Cluster buses. The Pink Saheli smart card is being introduced as the long-term replacement for the paper-based ticketing system.Officials said nearly 18 lakh Pink Saheli cards have already been distributed across the national capital.
The government is continuing efforts to issue cards to remaining eligible beneficiaries through 50 authorised centres located across Delhi.The Transport Department has also instructed authorities to strengthen awareness campaigns regarding the smart card system.
Information will be disseminated through announcements at bus depots and inside buses, as well as through social media, print media and other communication platforms.The government plans to gradually discontinue paper-based pink tickets and shift completely to the smart card-based system once the transition process is completed.
