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Aadhaar must for Delhi women to get free bus rides. Key details

Aadhaar must for Delhi women to get free bus rides. Key details

India Today14 hours ago
Travelling in DTC buses is about to change for women in Delhi. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has announced that the current pink ticket system for free bus rides will soon be replaced with a Pink Pass, meant only for Delhi's women residents.This shift isn't just cosmetic. The new system comes with stricter eligibility: only women who are residents of Delhi will get the benefit, and to access it, an Aadhaar card will be mandatory.advertisement"Very soon, we will replace the pink ticket with a Pink Pass for free bus travel for women in Delhi. However, this free travel will be available only to women who are residents of Delhi." Chief Minister Rekha GuptaAADHAAR IS NOW MANDATORY FOR THE BENEFITS
While the free bus ride scheme has been popular among women commuters in Delhi, the new plan aims to fine-tune the benefit by ensuring it only reaches local residents. According to Transport Minister Pankaj Singh, a new system is currently being developed and will be rolled out soon. The key change? Women will need to produce their Aadhaar card to qualify for the free rides.The Aadhaar requirement ensures that only Delhi-based women can avail the service, closing any loophole that allowed women from neighbouring states to ride for free.TECH-POWERED CHANGES TO IMPROVE DELHI'S TRANSPORTApart from this, CM Rekha Gupta also inaugurated a new automatic testing station at Nand Nagri Depot. These kinds of smart infrastructure additions are expected to modernise Delhi's public transport system, especially for vehicle fitness testing.She also addressed the financial health of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), stating that the government is committed to rescuing DTC from a massive Rs 65,000 crore loss. One of the steps includes reworking the city's bus routes in collaboration with IIT experts to make them more efficient and commuter-friendly.WHAT'S NEXT FOR COMMUTERS?For now, the pink tickets will continue. But once the Pink Pass system rolls out, women riders in Delhi should expect a more digitised and regulated way of accessing free travel. This could also mean a smarter verification system, possibly integrated with smart cards or mobile apps later down the line.The move is part of a larger push to not only provide women with safer, cost-free public transport but also to curb misuse and ensure accountability.- EndsTrending Reel
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