DTC's ‘Saheli Cards' will limit free bus travel to Delhi residents
Officials said the new regulation aims to ensure accountability in the system and plug revenue leakages.
Unlike the previous system, launched by the erstwhile Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government, where all women—regardless of address—were handed pink tickets by conductors, Saheli Cards will only be issued upon submission of Delhi-based address proof and Aadhaar details.
The cards, bearing the beneficiary's name and photo, must be applied for online via the DTC website and will be delivered by post.
'This is a digital reform with a targeted subsidy,' said a senior DTC official. 'Only verified Delhi residents will get Saheli Cards. The goal is to plug leakages and ensure the benefit reaches the intended recipients.'
Delhi transport minister Pankaj Singh echoed the sentiment: 'After we operationalised DEVI buses, we realised that it was generating good revenue, despite free rides for women. Of the 4.8 million-odd daily commuters of DTC, just about 20% are women and making their travel free does not impact revenue much. The smart cards have been kept for residents only to streamline the registration process and make it accountable. It is a Delhi service, for the people of Delhi.'
Under the previous scheme, pink tickets were issued for free in lieu of tickets when women boarded Delhi buses. Bus operators were later compensated by the government based on the number of pink tickets issued.
Singh said this made the system prone to abuse.
'We conducted raids after our government came to power and found that several fake pink tickets were generated while these women did not even travel on DTC buses, just so that the government exchequer could be depleted. We want to remove this unaccountability and bring in a proper system,' he said.
According to a tender floated by DTC, the new AFC infrastructure is part of Delhi's long-term vision to modernise and unify public transit access. The system will also integrate with apps developed in collaboration with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), allowing users to generate QR-code tickets, recharge their cards, and plan multimodal journeys across Delhi.
HT first reported on April 4 that new smart cards will replace pink tickets for free bus rides, and that they will restrict the scheme to women who are residents of the Capital, as address proof could be required during registration.
According to a tender floated by DTC, rollout is a part of a broader project to modernise fare collection through an Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system. The Saheli Card will be National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)-compliant and function on an open-loop platform, enabling usage across Delhi Metro, feeder buses, parking facilities, and even for small retail transactions.
NCMC system is already in use by the Delhi Metro, Noida Metro among other transit systems.
The wider rollout will be powered by over 12,000 onboard validators, QR-based ticketing, vending machines, and a clearinghouse to track transactions in real time. Cards will operate on a tap-in-tap-out model, removing the need for cash or manual ticketing, according to the tender document, which HT has accessed.
Importantly, the card will be Aadhaar-seeded and linked to Delhi's residential database, meaning women and transgender persons residing in neighbouring NCR cities such as Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad will no longer be eligible for free rides, although they can purchase the card as regular NCMC users.
In addition to the Saheli Card, DTC will introduce two other NCMC-enabled cards: The first will be the 'Zero KYC Card', which will be usable across transit networks, this card will not require any identity verification, allowing fast and easy issuance. The second will be the 'Full KYC Card', which will be issued by banks after complete KYC as per RBI and UIDAI norms, this card offers the same features but with added regulatory compliance.
'These additional cards are meant to enhance public access to seamless, cashless travel, while the Saheli Card will specifically serve the state's welfare scheme,' an official said.
'Besides the card-based system, the AFC setup will also support QR code-based ticketing via mobile apps. These apps, developed in coordination with DMRC, will allow users to generate journey-specific QR codes, check their Saheli or NCMC card balance, recharge the card, and even plan multimodal routes across Delhi,' the official added.
The policy shift comes amid a broader push to improve financial discipline and eliminate fraud in the scheme. In 2020-21, about 177 million pink tickets were issued. That number surged to 400 million in 2022-23. Former finance minister Atishi said in her budget speech last year that nearly 1.1 million women availed of free bus rides each day. Over five years, from 2019 to 2024, the AAP government facilitated 1.53 billion free rides for women.
Despite the impressive scale, officials say the old system lacked transparency. 'The Saheli Card ensures that free rides are logged, traceable, and tied to verified users,' a transport official said.
DTC currently operates 44 depots and maintains an active fleet of 3,266 buses—1,950 electric and 1,694 CNG.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
19 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Need To Relook At Our History": Economist As PM Offers Prayers At Iconic Cholapuram Temple
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Gangaikonda Cholapuram Shiva temple, has put the spotlight on the Chola empire, especially on the time of Rajendra Chola, who stood tall when northern India was under Muslim rule. This, however, was not an area or a period that gets much attention -- the study of history being "Delhi-centric", said economist and historian Sanjeev Sanyal, pointing to the big takeaway from the Prime Minister's visit. "We need to begin to relook at our history and think about our great ancestors as a vigorous people," said Mr Sanyal, explaining that the popular conception of Indians as a passive people who are thankful to invaders -- from Muslim to British -- for bringing in technology, culture and cuisine. Our ancestors, he said, "built great temples, they built entire new cities when necessary". "This is a much more vigorous view of ourselves than, you know, we are waiting for somebody to conquer us and give us the railways," said Mr Sanyal, who is also the Principal Economic Advisor to the government. "These were vigorous, risk-taking people, happy to go to war with each other sometimes or with foreign invaders. But the point is, this were not a passive people. And instead, the only person in our history of our, you know, pre-Islamic history that we celebrate is Ashoka. And the only reason we celebrate him is because he was passive, because the empire collapsed under him," he added. He said he was "glad the Cholas are being celebrated," but they were not the only people who had left their mark on the history of southeast Asia. "Even Tamil Nadu itself has many others. The Pandyas, the Cheras, which are from next door in Kerala, the Pallavas, and then the Gajapatis and all the kings of Kalinga, who also had these great maritime linkages to Southeast Asia. The western coast of India has amazing history of links with the Roman Empire and so on," he said. Even in the north, there was more than what gets most attention. "Whether you have the Ahoms of Assam or the Pal dynasty and the Sen-s of Bengal or the Kadambas of Goa or the Chalukyas of Maharashtra and the Rashtrakutas, we all have amazing histories for every part of the country. But somehow we are obsessed with this Delhi-centric view that, you know, we should all be grateful to the Mughals for biryani," he added. The Cholapuram temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site built around 1030 by Rajendra Chola, stands as evidence of the affluence of the of the empire under him. It was built around two decades after the Tanjore temple and in the same style. The Prime Minister's visit comes ahead of next year's assembly election in Tamil Nadu, where the BJP is trying hard to carve out a niche.
The Hindu
19 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: U.N. tech chief
The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations' top tech chief said this week, warning that fragmentation could deepen risks and inequalities. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union (ITU) agency, told AFP she hoped that AI "can actually benefit humanity". But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology -- including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying -- she insisted that regulation was key. "There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach". Her comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI. Among more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI development. Asked if she had concerns about an approach that urges less, not more, regulation of AI technologies, Bogdan-Martin refrained from commenting, saying she was "still trying to digest" the US plan. Lack of AI policies or strategies "I think there are different approaches," she said. "We have the EU approach. We have the Chinese approach. Now we're seeing the U.S. approach. I think what's needed is for those approaches to dialogue," she said. At the same time, she highlighted that "85% of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies". A consistent theme among those strategies that do exist is the focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure investments, Bogdan-Martin said. "But where I think the debate still needs to happen at a global level is trying to figure out how much regulation, how little regulation, is needed," she said. Bogdan-Martin, who grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of her more than three-decade career at the ITU, insisted the Geneva-based telecoms agency that sets standards for new technologies was well-placed to help facilitate much-needed dialogue on the issue. "The need for a global approach I think is critical," she said, cautioning that "fragmented approaches will not help serve and reach all". As countries and companies sprint to cement their dominance in the booming sector, there are concerns that precautions could be thrown to the wind -- and that those who lose the race or do not have the capacity to participate will be left behind. Huge gap The ITU chief hailed "mind-blowing" advances within artificial intelligence, with the potential to improve everything from education to agriculture to health care -- but insisted the benefits must be shared. Without a concerted effort, there is a risk that AI will end up standing for "advancing inequalities", she warned, cautioning against deepening an already dire digital divide worldwide. "We have 2.6 billion people that have no access to the internet, which means they have no access to artificial intelligence", Bogdan-Martin pointed out. "We have to tackle those divides if we're actually going to have something that is beneficial to all of humanity." Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organisation's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space. "We have a huge gap," she said. "We definitely don't have enough women... in artificial intelligence." The 58-year-old mother of four said it was "a big honour" to be the first woman in her position, to be "breaking the glass ceiling (and) paving the path for future generations". But she acknowledged there was a lot of pressure, "not just to achieve, but to almost overachieve". Bogdan-Martin, who is being backed by the Trump administration to stand for re-election when her four-year mandate ends next year, said she was eager to stay on for a second term. "There is a lot to do."
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: UN tech chief
Geneva: The world urgently needs to find a global approach on regulating artificial intelligence, the United Nations ' top tech chief said this week, warning that fragmentation could deepen risks and inequalities. Doreen Bogdan-Martin , head of the UN's International Telecommunications Union ( ITU ) agency, told AFP she hoped that AI "can actually benefit humanity". But as concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology -- including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying -- she insisted that regulation was key. "There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach". Her comments came after US President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI. Among more than 90 proposals, Trump's plan calls for sweeping deregulation, with the administration promising to "remove red tape and onerous regulation" that could hinder private sector AI development. Asked if she had concerns about an approach that urges less, not more, regulation of AI technologies, Bogdan-Martin refrained from commenting, saying she was "still trying to digest" the US plan. 'Critical' "I think there are different approaches," she said. "We have the EU approach. We have the Chinese approach. Now we're seeing the US approach. I think what's needed is for those approaches to dialogue," she said. At the same time, she highlighted that "85 percent of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies". A consistent theme among those strategies that do exist is the focus on innovation, capacity building and infrastructure investments, Bogdan-Martin said. "But where I think the debate still needs to happen at a global level is trying to figure out how much regulation, how little regulation, is needed," she said. Bogdan-Martin, who grew up in New Jersey and has spent most of her more than three-decade career at the ITU, insisted the Geneva-based telecoms agency that sets standards for new technologies was well-placed to help facilitate much-needed dialogue on the issue. "The need for a global approach I think is critical," she said, cautioning that "fragmented approaches will not help serve and reach all". As countries and companies sprint to cement their dominance in the booming sector, there are concerns that precautions could be thrown to the wind -- and that those who lose the race or do not have the capacity to participate will be left behind. 'Huge gap' The ITU chief hailed "mind-blowing" advances within artificial intelligence, with the potential to improve everything from education to agriculture to health care -- but insisted the benefits must be shared. Without a concerted effort, there is a risk that AI will end up standing for "advancing inequalities", she warned, cautioning against deepening an already dire digital divide worldwide. "We have 2.6 billion people that have no access to the internet, which means they have no access to artificial intelligence", Bogdan-Martin pointed out. "We have to tackle those divides if we're actually going to have something that is beneficial to all of humanity." Bogdan-Martin, the first woman to serve as ITU secretary-general in the organisation's nearly 160-year history, also stressed the need to get more women into the digital space. "We have a huge gap," she said. "We definitely don't have enough women... in artificial intelligence." The 58-year-old mother of four said it was "a big honour" to be the first woman in her position, to be "breaking the glass ceiling (and) paving the path for future generations". But she acknowledged there was a lot of pressure, "not just to achieve, but to almost overachieve". Bogdan-Martin, who is being backed by the Trump administration to stand for re-election when her four-year mandate ends next year, said she was eager to stay on for a second term. "There is a lot to do."
