A major change is coming to free bus travel for women in Delhi from September 1.
Women who want to travel for free on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses will need a Pink Saheli smart card.
The existing pink ticket system is being replaced by the smart card.
The cards are being issued at 50 designated locations across Delhi.
Women who have not yet obtained the card should check the nearest centre before travelling.
Who Can Get the Pink Saheli Smart Card?
The Pink Saheli card is available to girls and women aged 12 years and above.
There is no income limit for getting the card.
The card is not being issued online. Applicants need to visit one of the designated centres in person and carry the required documents.
The scheme was launched by President Droupadi Murmu on March 2, 2026, after which the smart cards began being issued.
Documents Needed for the Pink Saheli Card
Women applying for the card should carry the following documents:
Aadhaar card with a Delhi address
Delhi Voter ID card
PAN card
Passport-size photograph
Applicants should carry the original documents as well as copies if required by the centre.
Where Can You Get the Pink Saheli Card?
The Delhi government has designated 50 locations for issuing the cards.
These include Deputy Commissioner’s offices, SDM offices and DTC counters or depots across different parts of Delhi.
District and Government Offices
The following locations include designated government offices:
| No. | Area | Card Distribution Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central District | Deputy Commissioner’s Office |
| 2 | East District | Deputy Commissioner’s Office |
| 3 | New Delhi District | Deputy Commissioner’s Office |
| 4 | North East District | Deputy Commissioner’s Office |
| 5 | North West District | Deputy Commissioner’s Office |
| 6 | South District | Deputy Commissioner’s Office |
| 7 | South West District | Deputy Commissioner’s Office |
| 8 | West District | Deputy Commissioner’s Office |
| 9 | South East District | Deputy Commissioner’s Office |
| 10 | Old Delhi District | Deputy Commissioner’s Office |
| 11 | Central North District | Deputy Commissioner’s Office |
| 12 | Outer North District | Deputy Commissioner’s Office |
| 13 | Delhi Cantt | SDM Office |
| 14 | Adarsh Nagar | SDM Office |
| 15 | Yamuna Vihar | SDM Office |
| 16 | Kirari/Nangloi Jat | SDM Office |
| 17 | Mehrauli | SDM Office |
| 18 | Dwarka | SDM Office |
| 19 | Badarpur | SDM Office |
| 20 | Bawana | SDM Office |
DTC Counters and Depots
The remaining designated locations include:
Banda Bahadur Marg Depot, Burari DTC Depot, Uttam Nagar, Nehru Place, Shadipur, Scindia House, Kashmiri Gate, Dichonkalan, Nand Nagri, Wazirpur, Peera Garhi, Dwarka Sector-2, Sarojini Nagar, Hari Nagar-1, Mangolpuri, Punjabi Bagh, Lajpat Nagar, Azadpur, Sultanpuri, Delhi Gate, Rohini Sector-22, Karawal Nagar, Hauz Khas, Shahdara, Kanjhawala, South Campus, Jamia, Seemapuri, North Campus-DU and JNU.
What Changes From September 1?
The key change is simple: women seeking free travel on DTC buses will need the Pink Saheli smart card under the new system.
The card is intended to replace the earlier pink ticket-based arrangement.
Women who regularly depend on DTC buses for daily travel should therefore make sure they obtain the card from a designated centre.
The move is expected to make the free-travel benefit more dependent on a smart-card-based system rather than individual pink tickets.
