Delhi govt sets up 50 ‘Pink Saheli’ card centers; distribution starts from Tuesday

New Delhi: The Delhi government has set up around 50 centers across the city to facilitate the issuance of ‘Pink Saheli’ cards and the distribution process will begin from Tuesday.President Droupadi Murmu on Monday launched the Pink National Universal Transport Card, which will provide free bus travel to women and transgender people and seamless access to multiple public transport systems through a single smart card, in line with the ‘One Nation, One Card’ initiative.Around 50 card issuance centers have been set up, including at the offices of district magistrates and divisional magistrates, as well as at selected Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) locations, a statement said.“Distribution will be conducted at 50 centers from 9 am to 5 pm throughout the day from March 3,” the DTC said in a statement.Each pink card will be linked to the beneficiary’s mobile number and Aadhaar to verify age, gender and Delhi residence, the statement said.The pink card will allow eligible female residents of Delhi to travel on DTC buses and cluster buses free of charge and can also be used for paid travel on other public transport services including delhi metro and the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), which enables commuters to use one card across systems.The pink card will replace the existing paper pink tickets and provide contact-free travel, digital journey recording and improved revenue transparency and accounting, making public transport more accessible, technology-enabled and safe while reducing daily commuting expenses for women, the statement added.The scheme will issue three types of mobility cards – pink for eligible female residents, blue for general commuters and orange for monthly pass users. Pink and blue cards will be launched in the first phase, with orange cards coming later, the statement said.The DTC has authorized Hindon Mercantile Limited (MufinPay) and Airtel Payments Bank Limited to issue the cards, the statement said, adding that the cards will be integrated with the existing automated fare collection system in the national capital’s public transport network.The Pink Card will be provided free of charge by the government.There is also a dedicated Pink Saheli Card online portal with guide booklet for women in Hindi.