MSRTC Mandates NCMC Cards for Women and Senior Citizen Bus Concessions

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will require women and senior citizens to use a National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) to avail government fare concessions from September 1. Under the new mandate, concessional tickets on state transport buses will only be issued to eligible passengers presenting an NCMC card.

The public transport corporation confirmed that it has registered approximately 1.11 crore passengers for NCMC cards to date. The agency appointed E-Bix Technologies Ltd to manage the registration and card distribution process. The current phase focuses on women commuters and senior citizens, with plans to expand the requirement to other categories eligible for government fare concessions at a later stage.

Under the rules, women passengers and senior citizens between the ages of 65 and 75 must carry and use their NCMC cards during travel on ST buses to receive concessional fares. Passengers must also ensure their cards maintain a sufficient balance before boarding.

MSRTC has circulated a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to all its bus depots across the state to guide staff through the transition. Depot authorities have been instructed on issuing tickets strictly through the digital system for the designated passenger groups.

However, the corporation has granted temporary relief to 'Amrit' senior citizens aged above 75 years. Officials stated that mandatory enforcement has been deferred for this group because of registration difficulties, specifically biometric authentication issues where fingerprints could not be captured properly.

The shift to NCMC cards forms part of MSRTC's broader initiative to digitise ticket issuance and simplify the verification process for subsidised travel. The corporation urged eligible commuters who have not yet obtained their smart cards to visit their nearest ST depot immediately to complete registration and avoid travel disruptions.