ST bus concession for women, senior citizens will not need NCMC card until January 1, 2027

Women and senior citizens who ride State Transport buses in Maharashtra have been given more time to get the NCMC smart card. The date from which the card becomes compulsory for claiming fare concessions has been pushed to January 1, 2027. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, who also chairs the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, announced the decision.

The Corporation carries various sections of society at concessional fares on the government's instructions. To get these benefits to the right people in a simpler, more transparent and more effective way, it began issuing NCMC smart cards to women, senior citizens and Amrut senior citizens. The card had been made compulsory for availing the concessions with effect from October 1, 2026. That date now stands revised.

According to Corporation figures, about 1.10 crore cards have been registered and handed out across the state so far. Even so, a large number of women beneficiaries in villages and other rural areas have not completed registration. Word about the scheme did not reach many of them in time, and they are still without the card.

The Corporation said it took into account the sheer number of women beneficiaries and the difficulties people faced while registering in villages. Social organisations, elected representatives, leaders of political parties and ministers had also made repeated requests and suggestions for more time. The Corporation said it considered these positively before deciding to defer the requirement.

The practical result is that women and senior citizens who do not hold an NCMC smart card can still use their ST travel concessions as before from November 7, 2026 to December 31, 2026. For those whose registration is still incomplete, this is a considerable relief. The Corporation has urged every eligible woman and senior citizen to get the card registered within this window.

To help them do so, the Corporation has decided to run special registration camps at the gram panchayat level. Local elected representatives, local organisations and gram panchayat office-bearers will take an active part in the camps. The Corporation has set itself the target of completing registration and distribution of cards for 100 per cent of eligible beneficiaries by December 31, 2026.

Mr Sarnaik said the Corporation is committed to seeing that no woman or senior citizen is left without travel concessions. He said the special drive is an effort to put an NCMC smart card in the hands of every eligible beneficiary in the state. He also asked citizens, local elected representatives and the agencies concerned to cooperate so that the drive succeeds, and he said the Corporation does not want any passenger to be denied the concession.