ST daily earnings fall by Rs 5 crore in October, NCMC card rule for women questioned

The daily earnings of the State Road Transport (ST) Mahamandal have dropped sharply in October. In September the Mahamandal earned an average of Rs 33 crore a day, but in October this has come down to just Rs 28 crore. That is a loss of about Rs 5 crore a day.

The fall came after the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) was made mandatory for women passengers. This has raised the question of whether the strict card requirement is affecting passenger numbers. However, no figures have yet emerged to show that the card requirement is the main reason for the drop in earnings.

According to ST Mahamandal figures, its total earnings in September 2026, including the value of concessions, were Rs 990 crore 49 lakh 73 thousand. In September 2025 the figure was Rs 888 crore 52 lakh 72 thousand. Earnings have thus risen by about Rs 101 crore 91 lakh in a year.

Despite the rise in earnings, the Mahamandal's loss has not come down. The loss in September 2026 was Rs 94 crore 46 lakh 71 thousand, against Rs 58 crore 13 lakh 17 thousand in September 2025. The loss has grown by Rs 36 crore 33 lakh 54 thousand in a year. The loss is rising even as earnings rise, which means the Mahamandal continues to face a funding challenge.

Under the ST's Mahila Samman scheme, women passengers get a 50 per cent concession on tickets, which gives lakhs of women in the state financial relief while travelling. From October 1, however, the NCMC card has been made mandatory for this concession. Complaints have since been coming in about difficulties with registration, card activation and use.

It is said that some women passengers are finding it hard to avail of the concession because of the card application process, hurdles in activation and complaints about extra money being charged for the card. A discussion has begun on whether this is affecting women's travel.

The ST is said to have about 5 crore women passengers across the state. According to information received, NCMC cards of 88 lakh 81 thousand 567 women have been activated so far. More effort is therefore said to be needed to bring the card and the concession to as many women as possible. There is also a demand that getting and using the card be made easy, so that no one faces difficulty while claiming the concession.

The fall in earnings is a matter of concern, but it is still unclear whether the strict card requirement is behind it. Changes in passenger numbers, weather, drought and other factors could also affect earnings. The real impact of the card rollout therefore needs to be examined and necessary improvements made.

Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said this is a government scheme and has to be implemented. Officials have been directed to review the situation and submit a report on removing the difficulties and increasing earnings and registrations. He also said there is currently no thought of extending the registration deadline.

Shrirang Barge, general secretary of the Maharashtra ST Karmachari Congress, said it is unfortunate that the minister holds meetings but officials do nothing in practice. He claimed that this is the first time in the ST's 78-year history that such a big fall has occurred. He said that in such a situation, responsibility must be fixed on the concerned management officials.