Palghar district recorded a sharp rise in NCMC card registrations before the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation made the card mandatory for passengers seeking travel concessions from October 1. Registrations increased by 20,138 in about a month, reaching 65,544, with women forming the largest group among the new registrations, according to a report by Loksatta.
The NCMC card is now required for women, senior citizens and Amrut senior citizens who want to use concessions provided by the state transport undertaking. The requirement also affects a large number of passengers travelling from Vasai-Virar city and other parts of Palghar district, where residents continue to depend on MSRTC services.
The district began NCMC card registration in February. Until the end of August, 45,406 passengers had registered for the card. The number rose to 65,544 over the following month as the October deadline approached and passengers responded to the mandatory-card rule.
Women, senior citizens and students make up a significant share of MSRTC passengers in the district. Concessionary fares provided by the transport corporation have contributed to the continued use of state bus services by these groups, according to the report. The new requirement links access to those concessions with prior registration and possession of the card.
The administration had extended the registration deadline twice to give eligible passengers more time to complete the process. Registration activity increased during August and September, including around the Ganesh festival period, when passenger demand and attention to travel arrangements rose.
Of the 65,544 passengers registered in Palghar district, 40,685 cards had been activated by the time of the report. The difference between registrations and activated cards indicates that a substantial number of registered passengers had not yet completed or received activation, although the report does not specify the reasons or the next steps for those cases.
With the mandatory requirement now in force, eligible passengers using MSRTC concessions must carry the NCMC card during travel. The registration and activation figures will determine how smoothly concessionary passengers in Palghar can continue using the benefit under the new system.
