NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Monday rolled out the Pink Saheli Card for women and transgender individuals to enable seamless access to public transport and hassle-free bus travel in the national capital. The new card will replace the pink ticket previously used by women on bus rides, and each card will be linked to the beneficiary’s Aadhaar and mobile number to verify age, gender and domicile.
The scheme was launched at an event held at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, where Droupadi Murmu and Rekha Gupta, accompanied by Vinai Kumar Saxena, addressed a large gathering of women.
Murmu praised the Delhi government’s women-centric initiatives and said women form an integral part of society. “Today, women are advancing in every field, including the military, science and others,” she said.
While handing out Pink Saheli Cards to several beneficiaries at the event, Gupta said the initiative reflected her government’s efforts to promote women’s freedom and safety. To ensure a smooth rollout, the Delhi government has set up 58 centres across the capital, including offices of district magistrates and sub-divisional magistrates, for issuing the cards.
Visits to several of these centres showed a steady turnout of applicants. Young women were seen waiting at Delhi Transport Corporation centres to get their cards issued and photographs taken by officials.
“I am a regular traveller and this card will ensure that I travel hassle-free,” said Geeta, 29, who was waiting in a queue at a DTC bus pass centre in Lajpat Nagar. “Earlier, getting a pink ticket from the bus conductor took time. This card will make the process easier.” Under the scheme, the Pink Saheli Card can also be used for paid travel on other public transport services, including the Delhi Metro and the Regional Rapid Transit System, enabling commuters to use a single card across multiple transport networks.
“I came to know about this scheme through the internet and told my mother about it,” said Pratap, 22, who had accompanied his mother Santosh, 52, to a DTC bus pass centre in Sarojini Nagar.
“I wanted to get it early so that I don’t have to wait in queues later,” Santosh said after receiving her card.
However, the opposition criticised the scheme, saying it excludes non-resident women who previously availed free bus rides through pink tickets. Opposition leaders also alleged that the government was simply renaming an earlier initiative introduced by the Aam Aadmi Party government. “They only know how to change the already existing policies of our government,” said Priyanka Kakkar, chief spokesperson of the AAP. “They have done it with Mohalla Clinics and now with the Pink Saheli Card.”
