Gandhinagar, Aug 8 (IANS) Gujarat’s digital bus pass for persons with disabilities has received national recognition after the state integrated the service with DigiLocker, allowing beneficiaries to access their government-issued passes digitally instead of carrying physical copies.
The Social Justice and Empowerment Department, in collaboration with Gujarat’s State e-Governance Mission Team (SeMT), has integrated the Divyang Bus Pass with DigiLocker.
The initiative allows persons with disabilities to securely store and access their bus passes through mobile devices and use them for free travel on Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) buses.
The department has issued more than 4.42 lakh Divyang Bus Passes across Gujarat.
“The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has integrated the Divyang Bus Pass with DigiLocker and has so far issued over 4.42 lakh such passes across the state, enabling beneficiaries to travel free of cost on all GSRTC buses,” Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Pradyuman Vaja said.
The integration was recognised at the National Consultative Workshop on Strengthening Cybersecurity Frameworks for State Data, held in May 2026.
The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had facilitated the integration of DigiLocker with state digital service platforms.
With the digital pass available through DigiLocker, beneficiaries no longer need to carry a physical pass while travelling.
The system also provides access to a government-approved digital document for verification and reduces the risk of a pass being lost or damaged.
Harshad Patel, Secretary of the Social Justice and Empowerment Department, said, “The DigiLocker integration eliminates the need to carry a physical pass while protecting beneficiaries against its loss or damage. It allows secure, anytime access through mobile devices, promotes paperless governance, and provides a government-approved digital document for seamless verification.”
The initiative forms part of Gujarat’s wider efforts to expand digital delivery of public services and improve accessibility and convenience for citizens.
It is also aligned with the Digital India approach of enabling paperless governance and allowing citizens to access essential government documents and welfare-related services digitally.
The Divyang Bus Pass also includes an accidental death insurance cover of Rs 4 lakh. In the event of the accidental death of a pass holder, the nominee or legal heir can claim the insurance benefit by submitting the prescribed documents to the concerned department.
–IANS
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