‘Saheli’ cards for free bus travel prove elusive for trans persons in Delhi

Three months after the Delhi government launched ‘Saheli’ cards, promising free bus travel for women and transgender persons, many transgender residents say they are being denied the cards at distribution centres.

In March 2025, the Delhi government announced that women and transgender persons will be eligible for free travel on city buses through pink cards. The scheme was officially launched on March 2 this year. However, visits by The Hindu to five distribution centres and interviews with applicants revealed that transgender persons are mostly unable to obtain the cards despite being listed as eligible beneficiaries. At four of the five centres visited, officials said the cards were not issued to transgender persons despite the card explicitly mentioning “female/transgender”. At one centre, officials agreed to issue the card only after this was pointed out.

Ground realities

Vishakha, 23, who works with a non-profit organisation, said she visited the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s office in Tughlaqabad last month to apply for a pink card using her transgender identity card issued by the Central government. “My Aadhaar Card says ‘transgender’, and I identify as a trans woman. Despite that, officials passed my Aadhaar to five different persons but refused to issue a pink card,” she said.

The officials issued her a rechargeable blue card, which is meant for male passengers and does not provide free travel benefits. While officials at several centres denied that transgender persons were eligible for the scheme, a senior Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) official noted that they were covered under it. “All women and transgender persons are eligible for these cards. No one can be denied issuance of these cards if they are eligible,” the official said.

Despite these assurances, transgender applicants continue to report difficulties. Bobby, 35, a caterer, said they were directed to the queue for blue cards when they approached officials at the District Magistrate’s office in Mehrauli.

“I was told the scheme was only for females. It was easier earlier with pink tickets. We could get them on the spot from conductors, and sometimes they would themselves offer the tickets to us,” Bobby said.

Senior Transport Department officials said the pink ticket system will be phased out gradually. The government had extended the scheme for three more months in March.

‘Not eligible’

At the DTC bus pass counter at ITO, employees told The Hindu they had been instructed by senior officials not to issue cards to transgender persons. “The provision was discontinued a few weeks after the scheme was rolled out,” one employee said.

An official at the Shadipur bus depot said transgender persons had never been identified as eligible beneficiaries in the instructions received by staff.

She added that the backend system only accepts Aadhaar cards where the gender is listed as “female”. 

Surpiya (name changed) obtained a pink card at the south-east Delhi District Magistrate’s office because her Aadhaar listed her gender as female. Even then, she said she faced difficulties using it. “Whenever I tap my card on the machine, it asks me to verify its validity,” she said.

However, at the DTC depot in Nehru Place, an official said transgender persons were eligible for the card once it was pointed out that the words ‘female/transgender’ were printed on the back side of the card.

“It will be issued if they come with their Aadhaar,” the official said, adding, “Most people, including government officials, do not read the instructions.”

(With inputs from Mahima Rao)