NCMC card registration has become a difficult task for passengers in Vasai and Nalasopara after services at both bus depots were stopped, forcing applicants to travel to Virar before the card becomes mandatory for several passenger categories from October 1.
According to a report by Loksatta – Vasai-Virar, crowds have been gathering at bus depots across the Vasai-Virar area as passengers apply for the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC). The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation has started registration for concessionary passengers, with NCMC cards set to become mandatory from October 1 for senior citizens, women and Amrit senior citizens.
The registration and distribution process is being handled through agents appointed by EbixCash at bus depots. However, passengers from Vasai and Nalasopara are currently required to reach the Virar depot because registration services at their local depots have been discontinued, the report said.
The disruption has increased the time and travel costs for people who need the card, particularly those who depend on bus services and are eligible for concessions. Passengers have expressed anger over what they described as poor administrative management and the need to travel to another depot for a service that was expected to be available locally.
The Vasai depot’s registration service was stopped after passengers complained about an agent working there around three months ago. Following the removal of that agent, passengers from Vasai reportedly had to visit the Nalasopara or Virar depots to apply for the card.
A similar issue was reported at the Nalasopara depot in September. Complaints were made that the agent responsible for registration had argued with passengers and demanded additional money for processing the NCMC card. The agent’s work at the depot was subsequently stopped, according to information cited in the Loksatta report.
The NCMC system is intended to provide a common payment and concession mechanism across public transport services. In this case, however, the rollout has exposed a basic implementation problem: making a digital mobility card compulsory without ensuring that registration points remain accessible across the service area.
The report does not specify when registration services at the Vasai and Nalasopara depots will resume or what alternative arrangements the transport corporation will provide. The immediate operational issue remains the availability of registration and card-distribution facilities before the October 1 deadline.
