Free Bus Travel Facility for Visually Impaired Persons (Delhi)

What is the Delhi free bus travel facility for visually impaired persons?

Free Bus Travel Facility for Visually Impaired Persons is a travel concession run by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) under the Transport Department, Government of NCT of Delhi. DTC issues a free bus pass to blind residents of Delhi, letting them board any DTC bus on any route without paying a fare.

According to the DTC citizen charter, the corporation "offers Free Passes to different categories of Divyangjan/Persons with disability (like Deaf & Dumb, Blind, Ortho, Mental Illness)", alongside free passes for war widows and their dependants, freedom fighters and eminent sports personalities. Visually impaired persons fall in the blind category of that list.

Two features make this concession more useful than a standard fare discount:

• The pass is valid on all routes, AC and non-AC, in DTC's city and NCR services, not on a single named route.
• One escort travels free with a blind pass holder, which matters for passengers who need sighted assistance to board, find a seat and get off at the right stop.

The facility is separate from the Delhi government's disability pension and from the Sugamya Sahayak assistive-device scheme run by the Department of Social Welfare. A person can hold all three at once.

Who is eligible for the DTC free pass for the visually impaired?

You can get the free pass if:

• You are a resident of Delhi and can produce valid proof of residence.
• You hold a disability certificate issued by a government hospital recording visual impairment, or a UDID card, or a certificate or identity card issued by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate.
• Your recorded vision falls in the blind category as defined in the DTC citizen charter, that is visual acuity between 1/60 and 6/60 in both eyes.

DTC's free-pass scheme also covers other disability categories on their own criteria: deaf and dumb at 60 decibel, and physically disabled at 40 per cent or above.

You are not eligible if:

• You do not live in Delhi. The pass is issued against a Delhi residence proof, and NCR residents outside Delhi are not covered by this concession.
• You have no disability certificate from a government hospital, no UDID card and no SDM-issued certificate. A private clinic's letter is not accepted.
• Your certified vision does not meet the blind-category threshold. Partial vision loss above 6/60 may qualify under a different disability category, so check the certificate wording before applying.
• You are applying for someone else's use. The pass carries a photograph and is not transferable.

An escort does not apply separately and does not need to prove anything. The escort's free travel is a right attached to the blind pass holder's pass, used only when travelling together.

What documents are required for the DTC disability pass?

The DTC citizen charter names the accepted proofs precisely: "Valid proof of Residence in Delhi, Disability Certificate issued by a Govt. Hospital, Certificate/ I-Card issued by the SDM or Unique Disability ID(UDID) card issued by Department of Empowerment".

How to apply for the DTC free bus pass online

1. Open the DTC bus pass portal at dtcpass.delhi.gov.in.
2. Select Apply Now and choose the disability or free pass category, then pick the blind sub-category.
3. Fill in your name, date of birth, Delhi address, mobile number and email.
4. Upload scanned copies of the disability certificate or UDID card, your residence proof and your photograph.
5. Submit the application and note the application number displayed on screen.
6. Wait for the e-Bus Pass link, which DTC sends by SMS and email to the registered mobile number and address within one working day of approval.
7. If you also want a printed laminated pass, pay the Rs 15 charge during the application. It is delivered to your Delhi address by speed post within seven working days.

Track progress at any time using the application status option on dtcpass.delhi.gov.in.

How to apply offline at a DTC pass counter

1. Go to any DTC computerised pass section. DTC operates more than 30 of them, including Scindia House, Kashmere Gate, Delhi Gate, Hauz Khas Terminal and Shahdara Terminal.
2. Carry the original and a photocopy of your disability certificate or UDID card, your residence proof, and two passport-size photographs.
3. Fill the pass application form at the counter, or ask the staff to fill it if you cannot read the printed form.
4. Submit the documents. DTC's charter states that passes applied for at the counter are issued the same day.

The counter route is the faster option and is worth using if you need the pass immediately or if you have trouble scanning documents for the online form.

How to use the pass and what it covers

The free pass is valid on all DTC routes, both AC and non-AC, in city and NCR services. Show the pass to the conductor when boarding. For an e-Bus Pass, open the link received by SMS and show the pass on your phone screen; conductors are instructed to accept the digital version.

The escort travelling with a blind pass holder does not pay a fare either. The DTC charter records the position for the blind category as "One escort is allowed to travel free with the blind disability".

Keep the disability certificate with you in case a checking staff member asks for supporting proof, especially while using a digital pass on a shared phone.

Why applications get rejected and how to fix them

• Certificate not from a government hospital. DTC does not accept private hospital certificates. Get the certificate re-issued through a government hospital empanelled for disability certification, or apply for a UDID card.
• Vision percentage or acuity not stated. A certificate that names the disability but omits the acuity figure often fails scrutiny. Ask the issuing hospital to record the acuity.
• Residence proof from outside Delhi. The concession is limited to Delhi residents. An NCR address on the proof leads to rejection.
• Blurred uploads. Scanned documents that cannot be read are the most common online failure. Re-upload clear scans rather than phone photographs at an angle.
• Mobile number mismatch. The e-Bus Pass link goes only to the number entered in the form. Correct the number through the portal before re-applying.

How to replace a lost or expired pass

1. Open dtcpass.delhi.gov.in and use the e-pass regeneration option against your registered mobile number.
2. If regeneration does not work, visit a DTC pass section with your disability certificate and residence proof and ask for a re-issue.
3. Pay Rs 15 again if you want a fresh printed laminated pass.

Renewal follows the same route as a first application. Where the disability certificate itself carries an expiry date, renew the certificate first, because DTC validates the pass against it.

Where to complain or get help

• DTC complaint numbers: 1800118181, 011-23370304, 011-23370219 and 011-41400400.
• DTC headquarters: I.P. Estate, New Delhi-110002, phone 011-23370236.
• Bus pass helpline: 011-23752769 to 75, extension 226, for pass application and delivery queries.
• Department of Social Welfare, GNCTD, 7th Floor, MSO Building, ITO, I.P. Estate, New Delhi-110002, for disability certificate and UDID matters.

The pass itself costs nothing. No conductor, agent or middleman may charge a visually impaired passenger to issue or renew a DTC free pass, and the only legitimate charge in the whole process is the Rs 15 for a printed laminated card.

How to check your application status

1. Open dtcpass.delhi.gov.in on a browser.
2. Look for the application status or track application option on the homepage, separate from the fresh-application link.
3. Enter the application number that was shown on screen when you submitted the form. Keep a screenshot or a written note of this number at the time of application, since the portal does not always resend it by SMS.
4. If the application number is lost, try the status check using the registered mobile number instead, where the portal offers that option.
5. The status page shows one of a few stages: submitted, under verification, approved, or rejected. An approved application is followed by the e-Bus Pass link sent by SMS and email, usually within one working day, so an "approved" status with no link yet just means that message is still in transit.
6. If the status has not moved for several days, or shows rejected without a clear reason, contact the DTC pass section where you applied, or the counter nearest to your address if you applied online. Carry your application number and original documents when you visit, since counter staff cannot look up an online application without it.
7. For a pass applied at a physical counter rather than online, there is no separate online tracking. Passes issued at the counter are meant to be handed over the same day, so a delay beyond that is best resolved by returning to the same counter with your acknowledgment slip.
8. Once you hold a pass, a lost or not-yet-received laminated card (the paid Rs 15 version) can also be checked by asking the same DTC pass section whether it has been dispatched, since it travels by speed post and delivery time is outside the portal's tracking.