NEW DELHI — The transport department announced Tuesday that its highly anticipated "Pink Saheli Smart Card" initiative is operating exactly as intended, successfully preventing hundreds of thousands of women from accessing the city's previously unrestricted free transit scheme.

"Under the outdated paper ticket system, we had an unmanageable six to seven lakh women boarding our buses every day," a transport official said, referring to the 2019 initiative that facilitated over 1.53 billion free rides by 2024. "By transitioning to a mandatory smart card requiring local Aadhaar linkage, we have stabilized the daily ridership at a much more accountable 6,000 to 8,000 women. This is what true digital reform looks like."

Authorities confirmed that the new NCMC-compliant cards, which will become fully mandatory for free travel by July, have effectively plugged all potential revenue leakages. Officials stated that by adding a complex administrative hurdle that excludes non-residents, the government can finally ensure the targeted subsidy reaches only the 5 to 6 percent of commuters who manage to navigate the enrollment process.

Private vendors contracted to issue the 5.56 lakh physical smart cards have praised the administration's commitment to efficiency. Representatives noted that printing hundreds of thousands of plastic cards for a scheme with 8,000 daily users represents a massive leap forward for the Centre's "One Nation, One Card" initiative.