Palghar | September 3, 2026
Only 26,304 of the 45,406 National Common Mobility Cards (NCMC) registered in Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation’s Palghar district are currently active, creating a gap between registration and actual access to concessionary travel benefits for women and senior citizens.
The cards were made mandatory from September 1 for women and passengers aged 65 to 75 who want to claim concessions on ST bus services. The registration drive has gathered pace over the past two months, but activation delays have meant that only about half of the registered cards are being used, according to information from the Palghar ST division reported by Loksatta.
Of the total registrations, 35,176 were made under the Mahila Sanman scheme, 5,972 by passengers aged 65 to 75, 3,629 under the Amrit Senior Citizen scheme and 629 by other passengers. Vasai, Boisar and Palghar bus depots recorded the highest number of registrations in the district.
The number of active cards includes 19,091 Mahila Sanman cards, 4,250 cards held by senior citizen passengers, 2,251 cards under the Amrit Senior Citizen scheme and 412 cards registered under other categories. The figures indicate that activation, rather than registration alone, remains the immediate operational issue for passengers seeking to use the digital mobility system.
The ST corporation introduced NCMC cards to make concessionary travel more streamlined and technology-enabled. E-Bix Technologies Ltd has been appointed to handle card registration and distribution. The company’s agents are taking between 15 and 30 days to activate cards, according to the Palghar ST division. Officials also attributed the slower rollout to passengers beginning the registration process late.
At present, the card facility is available to women and senior citizens in the 65-to-75 age group. The corporation has said that the system will be extended to other concession categories in a subsequent phase. Registration for passengers above 75, students and persons with disabilities began later, and carrying an NCMC card has not yet been made compulsory for these groups.
The staggered implementation means that the mandatory requirement currently applies only to the categories covered in the initial registration phase. For those passengers, the time taken between applying for a card and receiving activation remains central to whether they can use their concessions without disruption.
The Palghar ST division is continuing the registration and activation process through the appointed company’s agents. The corporation’s next step is to extend the facility to other concession beneficiaries after the current phase is completed.
