Summary of this article
From September 1, NCM card needed to avail of fare concession in MSRTC buses.
Seniors between 65 and 75 years of age and women must carry NCM to claim concession.
Above 75 seniors are temporarily exempt from carrying the card due to biometric issues.
Senior citizens and women in Maharashtra need to have a National Common Mobility (NCM) card if they want to continue to avail concessions on Maharashtra state road transport buses. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), in an effort to digitise the ticketing system, made it mandatory for eligible passengers to hold an NCM card to avail of the concessions.
Starting today, September 1, eligible passengers, who include senior citizens and women, must produce an NCM card to claim the concession, per PTI report. Earlier, the deadline to make this card mandatory to avail of the concession was August 1, which was extended in July by one month to September 1. Notably, the state offers a 50 per cent concession in bus fare to senior citizens and women, which can now continue only if the person has the card.
According to the MSRTC, approximately 1.11 crore people have registered for the NCM card so far. This includes about 86 lakh women and 14 lakh senior citizens between the ages of 65 and 75. For those above 75, ‘Amrit’ senior citizens have been exempted from producing the NCM cards for the time being. However, this is only a temporary relief granted by the corporation due to technical registration hurdles, particularly due to the difficulties in capturing the fingerprints of such older beneficiaries.
While many people have registered for the card during the extended one-month period, many still haven’t registered or haven't received the card yet. Considering this, the State Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced an extension of the deadline in July, giving eligible beneficiaries more time to get the card. Now, to manage both registration and distribution of the NCM cards, MSRTC has partnered with E-Bix Technologies Ltd. Eligible passengers can complete their registration at their nearest MSRTC depot if they have not already done so.
Currently, the MSRTC transport system has a fleet of 15,000 buses, in which more than 55 lakh passengers travel daily. While the current distribution drive is focusing on senior citizens and women, it is planned to be expanded to other passenger categories as well in the future.
The aim of rolling out this card is to digitise the ticketing process, which can make ticketing operations streamlined and transparent, prevent misuse of tickets, and enhance user experience. A smart card linked to travel concessions is aimed at saving time and minimising confusion during ticketing.
