NCMC card mandatory for women, senior citizens on ST buses from October 1
Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation says concession fares for eligible women and senior citizen passengers will require an NCMC card from October 1, 2026.
Amrit senior citizens, senior citizens and women passengers travelling on Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (ST) buses have important news. From October 1, 2026, an NCMC card will be mandatory to avail all these concession schemes. The ST Corporation has decided that concessional tickets will now be issued only against an NCMC card, and registration and distribution of the card has begun at depots and bus stations across the state.
The ST Corporation offers concessional travel to certain categories of passengers on the government's directions, including Amrit senior citizens, senior citizens and women passengers. The NCMC card system is being introduced to make this concessional travel easier to manage and more digital.
From October 1, concessional tickets will be issued only through the NCMC card. Senior citizens and women passengers must therefore register their NCMC card before that date. Passengers who already have an active NCMC card, or a QR code receipt from card registration, will continue to get the concession.
Passengers who have not yet received their NCMC card need not worry. Amrit senior citizens, senior citizens and women passengers in particular can get a concessional ticket by having the bus conductor scan the QR code receipt issued after registration on the ETM machine. This registration receipt is valid for 30 days, during which the passenger must activate their NCMC card and top it up.
E-BIX Technologies Limited has been appointed as an authorised agent for NCMC card registration and distribution, both at ST bus stations and depots and outside depot limits. This will allow passengers to get their card made at their nearest authorised centre.
Top-up facility for the card is also available through the BHIM app. The QR code on the back of the card can be scanned using the BHIM app to top it up.
Separate arrangements have also been made for eligible beneficiaries whose biometric fingerprints do not register correctly on their Aadhaar card, causing registration difficulties. Such passengers can register their NCMC card using an OTP sent to their Aadhaar-linked mobile number, through a separate process set up for this.
The ST Corporation says the NCMC card system will prove significant in making concessional travel more transparent, digital and convenient. The corporation has appealed to senior citizens and women passengers to register their NCMC card before October 1 to avoid any inconvenience while travelling.
