ST allows concession tickets on QR receipt until NCMC card arrives, valid for 30 days

Women and senior citizens who travel by ST buses have been given some relief. The State Transport Corporation (ST) has made a provision for eligible passengers who register for the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC). After registration, the actual smart card can take about 30 days to reach the passenger. So that passengers do not miss out on the concession in the meantime, concession tickets will be issued on a QR code receipt.

The arrangement will help avoid inconvenience to passengers during the festival days. However, certain rules and a time limit must be followed to avail the concession on a QR code receipt.

The corporation has begun registering and distributing NCMC cards for concessional travel. This is an alternative so that passengers who have applied for a card do not have to buy a full ticket until they receive it.

At the time of registration, the passenger will be given a receipt with a QR code. Once the QR code is scanned on the ST e-ticket machine, the eligible passenger will get a concession ticket as per the rules. The receipt will be valid for only 30 days from the date of registration. Passengers eligible for the NCMC card should therefore register at the earliest and keep the QR code receipt safe.

Under the state government's scheme, women get a 50% concession on ST fares. Senior citizens aged 65 to 75 also get a 50% concession. Women and men who have completed 75 years get free travel under the Amrut Jyeshtha Nagrik scheme. The NCMC card has been made mandatory for all these concessions.

The system of giving concessions on the basis of the card came into force on October 1, after which crowds of passengers wanting to get the card have increased. Eligible passengers who do not have a card may have to buy a full ticket. In this situation, the QR code receipt facility is giving passengers relief.

The receipt is valid for only 30 days. Within this period, the passenger must collect the actual NCMC card, activate it and top it up, that is, load the required amount on it. After the 30 days end, a concession ticket will not be issued on the receipt alone. The card should therefore be activated on time as soon as it is received.

Once the card is received, passengers will not have to visit a centre repeatedly to recharge it. According to available information, a facility to recharge the card through the BHIM app has also been provided.

In the Pune division, NCMC card registrations have reached nearly 10 lakh and about 8 lakh cards have been distributed, according to information provided. Arun Siya, controller of the ST corporation's Pune division, said that until the card is received, concession tickets can be obtained for 30 days with the help of the QR code.

To avail the concession, eligible passengers should register for the NCMC card, keep the QR code receipt safe, and activate the card and load the required amount within 30 days. This will reduce the chance of any interruption in concessional travel.