NCMC recharge takes time, commuters struggle to use it The app is not available on iOS as of now

By Yashaswini Sri

Morethan a week after the launch of the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), commuters in Bengaluru are still facing problems in getting and using the card.

According to a Deccan Herald report, BMRCL said in its January 2023 newsletter that the mobility card could be used across different modes of transport and throughout the country.

An officer in BMRCL’s public relations department informed The Observer: “NCMC can be used for different purposes. If you tie up with RBL Bank, you can use it as a debit card as well as a travel card in Namma Metro. If you get the card issued by Namma Metro, you can use it only for commuting on Namma Metro trains. But you have to visit an RBL Bank branch to enable it as a debit card.

“One of the major drawbacks of NCMC is that it takes time to avail of a recharge. When someone adds or recharges this card, it first reaches the bank’s server, then Namma Metro’s servers. So the recharge is not immediately reflected. Our management is trying to work on this.”

The Observer could not contact RBL Bank as its branches were closed on Tuesday on account of Mahavir Jayanti.

Rajesh R, a software engineer working in HSR Layout, said: “When I heard about NCMC, I immediately tried to apply for it. After filling the form in the app, I approached the Indiranagar Metro station to avail of the card. However, they were clueless about what I was talking about.

So I ended up not getting a card.”

He then called the toll-free number to register a complaint.

While Metro staff at Majestic said they were not aware about the card, their counterparts at the Lalbagh station provided information about NCMC.

The Observer noticed that there was only one staff member at the Lalbagh station to issue cards. This caused a delay for many commuters.

Krishika (22), a student, said iPhone users face problems while applying for NCMC. “The app is not available in iOS as of now. It takes time for us to apply as we have to physically fill the form, submit an Aadhaar copy for KYC

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and wait in lines.”

Ravi Gadepalli, an independent consultant working on public transport projects, said: “Seventy percent of BMRCL users already use a travel card, so it’s not new for them. The advantage of using NCMC is that we can use the same card across several systems and modes. If we talk about encryption, it’s supposed to be safer than any existing travel cards. Upon the launch, it might be a tad bit difficult to access or avail it, but in the near future, I think people would prefer NCMC.”

A Times of India report said: “While no other utility in Bengaluru has onboarded NCMC as of now, BMTC is said to be planning to do so. This system is in place in Mumbai, Delhi and Kochi so far for the people.”

As per News Minute,NCMC was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, March 25. The NCMC, a prepaid card linked to the RuPay system, can be used to pay for travel and other purposes. It was first launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 2019. The NCMC was first launched in March 2019 with the aim of facilitating seamless travel and payment across all modes of transport, parking, and toll charges through a single card. The card can be recharged at ticket office near metro stations. yashaswini.s@iijnm.org