Delhi bus Pink Saheli card: free bus travel for women, who can apply and how

Who can get the Pink Saheli card

• Women, girls and transgender persons who live in Delhi.
• Aged 12 or older. This is the age given in DTC’s card tender and in reports on the scheme.
• With an Aadhaar card showing a Delhi address. A DTC official told ThePrint in October 2026 that Aadhaar is the only proof of residence accepted, and that it must be linked to a mobile number for OTP verification.

How to get the card

1. Check your Aadhaar. It must show your Delhi address and be linked to a mobile number you have with you, because the application uses an Aadhaar OTP.
2. Go to an authorised centre. The Delhi government opened 50 centres when distribution began in March 2026, and more have been added since. Centres hand out tokens, so go early. The current list is on dtc.delhi.gov.in.
3. Complete the Aadhaar verification at the counter. A photo is taken for the card, which carries your name and picture.
4. Collect your card and start tapping it on the bus ticket machine, or show it to the conductor.

When the scheme was announced in 2025, the plan described online registration on a DTC portal followed by KYC at a partner bank. In practice cards have been issued at the government centres. If DTC opens online applications, the link will be on its website; be wary of look-alike sites that ask for a fee.

Where the card works

• Free on DTC and cluster buses, the orange and green fleets, AC and non-AC, including the smaller electric DEVI buses.
• A National Common Mobility Card (NCMC). It uses the same tap-and-go standard as the Delhi Metro, so it can be topped up and used to pay for other travel. Metro rides are not free.

What it costs

The first card is free. Neither DTC nor the reports we found give a price for a replacement card, so ask at the centre if you lose yours.

Key dates

• 2019: free bus travel for women begins with paper pink tickets issued by conductors.
• 2 March 2026: Pink Saheli card distribution starts at government centres.
• 10 July 2026: a DTC circular set 31 July as the last day for paper pink tickets. The deadline was extended.
• 1 October 2026: the card becomes mandatory for free travel on DTC and cluster buses.

Reports in October 2026 said some conductors were still issuing pink tickets to women without a card for a short transition. Do not rely on it; carry the card.

Find your bus

With the card sorted, look up your route: plan a trip between any two stops, find the bus number for a place, or browse the full route list.