Delhi government has extended the existing paper-based pink ticket facility for women passengers in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses till 31st of this month.
A Transport Department order states that women eligible for free bus travel can continue to use paper-based pink tickets in DTC and Delhi Cluster buses.
The facility was previously scheduled to end yesterday, with the Pink Saheli smart card set to become mandatory today.
The government decided to extend the paper ticket system to allow more women to obtain the smart cards. So far, around 18 lakh Pink Saheli cards have been distributed across Delhi.
Officials stated that the government plans to gradually phase out paper-based pink tickets and shift completely to the smart card system. Fifty authorised centres have been set up across the city to facilitate card issuance.
The order also directs authorities to intensify public awareness campaigns through depot and in-bus announcements, social media, print media, and other channels.