The Delhi government’s new Saheli Smart Card offers free bus travel for women and transgender residents, but Delhi University students and commuters question its impact. With safety concerns and limited metro coverage, experts say true mobility requires stronger security, inclusive access, and reliable infrastructure beyond just free fares.
The Delhi Government is set to launch the Pink Saheli SmartCard on the auspicious festival of Bhai Dooj with the aim of digitising travel and replacing the Pink Tickets for DTC buses launched in 2019. This is a personalised travel smart card offering free travel on DTC and cluster buses for women and transgender residents, along with the option to recharge for other modes of transport. But does it really remove all the barriers which cause women to deter using buses?
This card will be personalised with the name and photo of the user under the NCMC framework. The free rides will be restricted for the women and transgender residents of Delhi aged 12+. Applicants can register online on the DTC portal and complete KYC and Delhi resident verification for the card to be issued. The card can be recharged for paid use on other modes (e.g., Delhi Metro), but reports clarify metro rides are not automatically free under the scheme. It replaces the older paper-pink-ticket regime—but raises concerns about the exclusion of migrants, informal-housing residents and others without formal documents.
Though, the willingness of women to use public transport is not an issue that can be cured by this initiative. Recent reports and viral accounts constantly remind us how unsafe and uncomfortable travelling in public transport buses and metros can be, even with the designated women’s coach. Especially for students, it is a major concern, as they have to regularly use public transport on a daily basis. A broader survey by UN Women from 2010 found that about 50% of women reported being harassed while using public transport in Delhi. And another source states that up to 8 in every 10 women surveyed in Delhi have faced sexual harassment during commuting or in urban public spaces. These numbers are extreme, but it’s agonising how they’re not really surprising for any of us.
A large share of daily commuters in Delhi include students travelling every day across the city to different campuses. So it’s obvious that this policy is expected to include a student angle, which is especially imperative for the students at Delhi University—as DU student activism and union records show long-standing demands for subsidised metro passes and better university-run transport. Equity in transport access is clearly linked with academic participation, and women’s safety during this travel is one of the most important concerns. The student reaction to the Saheli card has been mixed, as it criticises the card for excluding metro travel, which is now more reliable than using buses. There is also a constant call for designated student passes for the metro to reduce dependence on long bus commutes.
In conclusion, the Saheli Card can empower women only if free travel is paired with real safety reforms. Ensuring active presence of female wardens, better lighting in top commuter hubs, ensuring constant CCTV watch, and metro concessions will make Delhi’s transport both accessible and secure—turning affordability into genuine freedom of movement.
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Shreya Bhushan
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Image Credits: Anonymous
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