New Delhi: The Delhi government on Friday extended the deadline for making the Pink Saheli Smart Card (National Common Mobility Card) for women availing free travel in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses mandatory to August 16.

The extension comes ahead of the earlier August 1 deadline announced through a circular issued on July 10, under which only women carrying a valid card would have been eligible for free travel.

Transport minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said the government had decided to continue issuing pink tickets until August 15 to ensure no eligible commuter faced inconvenience during the transition.

“The extension reflects our commitment to ensuring that no eligible woman commuter faces inconvenience during the transition to the Pink Saheli Smart Card system. We urge all women passengers to obtain their cards before the revised deadline and continue availing the free travel facility seamlessly,” Singh said.

Officials said 1,704,042 cards had been issued as of July 31.