Metro Fair Hike, Saheli Cards; How the Recent Upheavals in Delhi's Public Transport are likely to Affect Commuters

On August 25, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) implemented a fare hike across all Metro lines, with increases ranging from Re. 1 to Rs. 4 depending on travel distance; the Airport Express line saw a rise of Rs. 5. 

Simultaneously, the Delhi government is phasing out the popular “pink tickets”, the free-bus travel scheme for women, and introducing the Aadhaar-linked “Pink Pass” or the Saheli Smart Card, requiring Delhi domicile proof to access free rides on DTC and cluster buses. These policy shifts, Metro fare hikes alongside domiciliary schemes for bus travel, set a critical context: a transport landscape increasingly stratified and financially burdensome, especially for vulnerable and young populations in Delhi.

Privilege for some, Exclusion for others in Women’s Mobility

Women remain among the most frequent users of public transport in Delhi, drawn by its cost-effectiveness, existing safety protocols, and high capacity. The fare adjustment now threatens to narrow accessibility for economically marginalised women, especially those previously reliant on subsidised bus travel through the now restricted pink ticket system.

"Earlier with pink tickets, any woman could travel free on buses regardless of where she lived," explains Kamla Devi, a domestic worker from Uttar Pradesh working in South Delhi. "Now I need Delhi address proof, which I don't have, so I pay full bus fare plus increased Metro costs. It's becoming impossible to manage."

Reportedly, the Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Singh defended the change, stating that of the 4.8 million-odd daily commuters of DTC, just about 20% are women and making their travel free does not impact revenue much. However, women from Noida, Gurgaon or Ghaziabad, commonly working in Delhi, no longer qualify, even if they depended on the service daily. This benefit will be limited to Delhi residents only.

As a result, low-income women who reside in the NCR periphery face added financial stress: not only must they contend with rising Metro costs, but they also lose their safety-oriented free bus rides. One affected commuter, Pooja Devi, who works as a cleaner at Omaxe Mall in Chandni Chowk and travels from Kalka Garhi to there in a bus, said, “I used to save hundreds of rupees each week with pink tickets. Now, I’m paying full fares or travelling unsafe routes simply because I’m not a Delhi resident.”

"Many working women like us don't have proper Delhi addresses or bank accounts for KYC," states Pushpa Sharma, an employee at a parlour in Nehru Place who travels from Gurgaon to here. "The government talks about women's empowerment but creates more hurdles for those who need support most."

Bearing the Burden of Exclusion as an ‘Outsider’

Delhi's migrant population, comprising an estimated 45% of the city's workforce according to PRS India, faces the harshest impact from these policy changes. These workers, who fuel Delhi's construction, manufacturing, and service sectors, find themselves systematically excluded from transport subsidies whilst bearing increased fare burdens.

For thousands without formal proof of residency, this upgrade could mean losing a vital lifeline, forcing hard choices between daily mobility, work, and basic living expenses. The construction sector alone employs over 1.8 million migrant workers in Delhi-NCR, according to Directorate General of Employment, most dependent on affordable public transport for daily commutes.

A migrant construction worker now pays Rs. 22 daily for typical cross-zone Metro travel (Rs. 11 each way), totalling ₹660 monthly just for work commutes, according to estimates. Meanwhile, their Delhi-resident counterpart's spouse travels buses free under the Saheli scheme.

"We build Delhi's metros, roads, and buildings, but we're treated like outsiders when it comes to transport benefits," says Ravi Kumar, a construction supervisor from Bihar who has worked in Delhi for twelve years. "The fare hike means I spend almost Rs. 1,500 monthly on transport alone, that's more than my accommodation costs."

The Delhi Economic Survey indicates migrants contribute approximately Rs. 3.2 lakh crores annually to the city's GDP. Yet they remain excluded from basic transport subsidies. Healthcare sector data shows 78% of Delhi's support staff are migrants, including those providing essential services during COVID-19.

"My daughter works as a hospital cleaner in Ganga Ram Hospital, essential work that Delhi depends on," explains Sunita Devi from Madhya Pradesh. "But she can't get free bus travel because she doesn't have Delhi address proof. Where's the fairness in that?"

Sujata Devi, a migrant worker who lives in Nihal Vihar, shares her sentiment, “My daughter works as a helper near Janakpuri, and I rely on her metro commute to send her home safely. Now, with the fare hike and the new pass restriction, her journey is unaffordable.” Another migrant commuter might note: “Before, free pink tickets gave us dignity and access. Now, we’re being told that without documents, you don’t belong, even if you work here every day.”

Around 20% of DTC’s 4.8 million daily commuters are women, according to state government data but of these women, a significant share are non-residents who now face exclusion. The reform, while rooted in accountability, risks creating a two-tiered system of mobility, citizen versus worker, resident versus migrant.

Education Disrupted by Distance

Students remain among the hardest hit, sandwiched between fare hikes and limited concessions. According to estimates, the monthly Metro cost for DU students in the highest fare slab has gone from Rs. 2,640 to Rs. 2,816. The modest 10% Smart Card discount offered by DMRC provides some relief, but the incremental burden still strains student budgets.

The Metro fare hike particularly affects students from distant areas. A student travelling from Dwarka to North Campus now pays Rs. 34 daily (up from Rs. 30), totalling Rs. 1,020 monthly, often exceeding food budgets. Whilst Delhi University provides annual bus passes for Rs. 250 covering campus routes, no such Metro concession exists.

"My family sends Rs. 9,000 monthly covering all expenses," states Rohit Sharma, pursuing an MA in Political Science in the Faculty of Arts, North Campus. "With new Metro fares, transport alone costs Rs. 1,200 monthly. After rent and basic necessities, barely Rs. 150 remains daily for food and books. This is unsustainable."

Historically, Delhi University students have clamoured for fare concessions; DU’s Students’ Union recently pressed for a 50% discount. At the same time, some colleges are piloting Metro discount schemes: Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, for example, has introduced coupon codes to ease Metro costs for students.

Shreeja Patir, a student from Assam, expresses, “I used to budget Rs. 2,500 for Metro every month, but now it’s almost Rs. 2,800; my stipend doesn’t stretch that far. It forces me to take longer and take the bus route to my house.”

Meanwhile, students from NCR areas who relied on Saheli or pink-ticket-enabled buses face compounded challenges: losing that subsidy while simultaneously dealing with Metro hikes.

The combined impact of Delhi Metro fare hikes and the termination of inclusive free-bus schemes like the pink ticket has generated a fissure in urban mobility equity. Women, migrants and students, each already constrained by financial or bureaucratic limitations, now seem to be edged out. Unless policymakers recognise transport as a right rather than a privilege, especially in a city of migrants and learners, these reforms may narrow Delhi’s public transit into a segmented, unequal system, where residence determines access, not need.