Commuters on the Aarey-JVLR to Acharya Atre Chowk stretch of Mumbai Metro 3 can now use the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) from June 11. The line is built and operated by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC). Commuters can now tap their contactless cards at entry and exit gates, avoiding long queues for tickets.
The new system was launched at Mantralaya on Tuesday morning, June 12. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde were present for the launch.
Metro 1 (Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar), Metro 2A (Dahisar East-Andheri West), and Metro 7 (Dahisar East-Gundavali) already accept the NCMC. The BEST buses running under the Chalo service also support the card. However, suburban trains and the monorail still do not accept NCMC. There are no immediate plans to include them.
There were plans to launch a single mobility app on May 1. The app would let users book tickets for different transport systems. However, its release has been delayed. No new date has been announced.
Existing NCMC cardholders can continue using their cards. New cards can be purchased at any Mumbai Metro 3 station, including Aarey-JVLR and Acharya Atre Chowk. They are also available at State Bank of India branches linked to the system. The cards are free to use. However, users must top up with a minimum of INR 100 and can load up to INR 2000 for travel.
Furthermore, the Maharashtra government has formed a task force to work on single-ticket access across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. This means passengers will be able to use one ticket for buses run by various civic bodies.
The task force has 12 members and is led by the general manager of the BEST Undertaking. The BMC’s additional municipal commissioner is also a part of the team. The member secretary will come from the MMRDA’s transport and communication division.
Its goal is to create a smooth single-ticket system for bus travel in the MMR. The group includes transport heads from cities like Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Vasai-Virar, Mira-Bhayandar, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Ulhasnagar, and Panvel.
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