India, June 19 -- New Delhi

The Delhi government will start phasing out the use of pink tickets to facilitate free commutes for women in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses and cluster buses, replacing the tickets with the "Pink Saheli" smart cards, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday.

Officials said that the move replaces a paper-based system, and marks a significant shift in the implementation of the free bus travel scheme, as it does away with issuing tickets to eligible passengers for free trips.

"The pink tickets are likely to be phased out between July 15 and 20. A final call on the date is yet to be taken. With the phasing out of pink tickets, only women residents of Delhi, who have Pink Saheli cards, will be able...