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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Delhi women to get free bus travel via smart cards soon: CM Rekha Gupta
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday announced that her government would soon provide free bus travel cards to all women of the city with an aim to empower them with mobility. Saheli Smart Card, a personalised travel pass carrying the holder's name and photo, will facilitate free rides to women and transgender residents of Delhi aged 12 and above on all DTC and Cluster buses. Laying the foundation stone for a fully automated vehicle testing station (ATS) at the DTC's Nand Nagri Depot, the chief minister said, "This is a symbol of a safer, more transparent, and women-friendly Delhi." "Along with technological upgrades like the ATS, we are also focused on empowering women with mobility. Soon, every woman in Delhi will have access to free bus travel through smart travel cards," she said. The new testing facility, to be developed at a cost of Rs 10 crore, is aimed at enhancing road safety, transparency, and pollution control. Once commissioned, it is expected to digitally test 72,000 vehicles annually with no human intervention. Delhi has only one operational ATS in Jhuljhuli with a limited capacity. The new facility will increase testing capacity significantly, especially benefiting commercial vehicle owners. CM Gupta also announced the construction of another fully automated ATS at the DTC Tehkhand Depot in South-East Delhi. Transport Minister Pankaj Singh said the initiative marks a major leap in Delhi's transport infrastructure and will help reduce long travel for vehicle owners seeking fitness certification. "We are combining technological advancement with accessibility and affordability. These centres will not only make Delhi roads safer but also generate Rs 3 crore annually for DTC," he said. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the BJP-led Delhi government of dismantling key welfare schemes under the pretext of fighting corruption. The AAP's Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the BJP government was systematically shutting down pro-people initiatives like the Mohalla Clinics and the Pink Ticket scheme as part of its "anti-poor agenda".
India Gazette
08-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Delhi to introduce 'Saheli Smart Card' for women, transgenders to avail free bus travel
New Delhi [India], July 8 (ANI): Delhi government will be rolling out the 'Saheli Smart Card' for women and transgender people, allowing them to travel the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses for free of cost. According to sources, the Saheli Smart Card scheme is expected to be rolled out on August 15, Independence Day. The scheme is meant to replace the 'Pink Ticket' system which was launched by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government. Pink passes were given to the resident women of Delhi and bus operators were compensated according to the number of tickets sold. 'Women and transgender persons residing in Delhi aged 12 and above will be able to travel free of cost on DTC and Cluster buses,' according to the source. The 'Pink Ticket' scheme was launched by AAP in 2019. According to the Delhi government's own data, a total of 100 crore pink tickets had been issued to women till the end of January 2023. By November 2024, over 150 crore pink tickets were issued. 'In 2022, free travel for women via Pink tickets contributed to nearly 32 per cent of the total number of passengers travelling in a month,' the statement said. 'In 2019-20, Delhi buses had a ridership of more than 160 crores. Due to COVID in the years 2020 and 2021, it dropped to 71 crores in 2020-21, slightly recovering to 93 crores in 2021-22. Since April 2022 till today, it has reached nearly 125 crores, almost 75 per cent of the pre covid numbers,' the statement added. However on March 29, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government had claimed that the scheme had been mismanaged, along with the whole Delhi Transport Corporation, which led to a loss of Rs 70,471 crore. 'They (AAP) turned a profitable department into a loss-making one. DTC suffered a loss of Rs 70,471 crore. There was an operational loss of Rs 14,198 crore. Buses were run on only 468 routes out of 814. Money was spent only on advertisements. Even the Rs 233 crore received from the Centre was not spent. There used to be 4344 buses, but during their tenure, the number reduced to 3937,' Delhi CM said in the Assembly. CM Rekha Gupta was referencing a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) which suggested that due to the government's mismanagement and negligence, crores of rupees from Delhi taxpayers have been wasted. This report is now being referred to the Committee on Government Undertakings with instructions to submit its report within three months. (ANI)
