The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) announced that National Common Mobility Cards (NCMC) will be mandatory for women and senior citizen passengers to avail concessions on MSRTC buses from August 1, the state transport minister said.

The corporation said it had accelerated registration and distribution of NCMC smart cards across the state and that as many as 5.1 million (mn) people had registered while around 2.5 mn cards had been activated. The minister noted that the rollout was being prioritised to ensure broad coverage before the deadline.

Women passengers and citizens aged 65 to 75 are entitled to a 50 per cent concession in MSRTC fares while those aged above 75 years are eligible for free travel, the statement said. Passengers were urged to obtain and activate their cards before August 1 to continue receiving concessions without disruption.

The corporation reported that over 4,000 NCMC smart card distribution centres had been made operational across the state to facilitate the process. The minister warned that strict action would be taken against any distribution centre found charging more than the prescribed fee, adding that licences of such centres would be cancelled immediately. Officials described the NCMC as a One Nation One Card smart card introduced by the government to allow a single card to be used for multiple transport and payment services nationwide.

MSRTC said the NCMC-based system was intended to ensure transparent ticketing, seamless delivery of government travel concessions and greater digitisation of passenger services across the state transport network. The corporation, one of the country’s largest public transport undertakings, operates a fleet of more than 15,000 buses and carries around 5.5 mn passengers daily, including a large number of women and senior citizens who avail themselves of fare concessions. Authorities reiterated the deadline and encouraged eligible passengers to complete registration promptly.