MSRTC women can travel at concession fares without NCMC smart card till December 31, 2026

Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Friday extended the last date for women passengers to obtain the NCMC (National Common Mobility Card) smart card, which had so far been mandatory for availing the concession on bus fares. The new deadline has been set at January 1, 2027.

The minister said women can travel at concessional fares on Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) buses without an NCMC smart card until December 31, 2026. This means their concession will not be stopped for now even if they do not have the card.

The decision was taken after demands from several social organisations, public representatives, political leaders and ministers. All of them had urged an extension of the deadline.

Earlier, MSRTC had made the NCMC smart card mandatory from October 1, 2026 for women and senior citizens to avail the travel concession. The corporation had begun distributing the cards earlier this year to make the concession system easier and more transparent.

Sarnaik is also the head of MSRTC. He said that, in view of public demand, passengers have been given more time to complete their registration.

According to Sarnaik, about 1.1 crore NCMC smart cards have been issued and distributed so far. However, the corporation found that the registration of many women is still incomplete. These include, in particular, women living in villages.

To address this problem, MSRTC will run a special registration drive with the help of local public representatives, passenger organisations and gram panchayat officials. The corporation has set a target of completing 100 per cent registration by December 31, 2026.

MSRTC is counted among the country's largest state-run public transport undertakings. Its fleet has about 15,000 buses, and it carries roughly 55 lakh passengers every day.

According to officials, the extended deadline will give women passengers more time to get their smart cards and spare them from losing the benefit of cheaper bus fares.

MSRTC has earlier asked eligible passengers to visit authorised registration centres within the stipulated deadline and complete the required paperwork. People living in villages can also enquire at their panchayat samiti or gram panchayat office for details of special registration camps.