In a statement, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has declared that Namma Metro is in the process of discontinuing its closed-loop Smart Cards in the near future, as per multiple media reports.
What is the objective?
The objective of doing this is to reportedly alleviate the inconvenience to passengers who currently carry multiple cards for both travel and shopping purposes. The step is also taken to promote the sale of NCMCs, i.e., the National Common Mobility Cards, which will now be accessible for purchase at Bengaluru metro stations. The CSCs, i.e., the Customer Service Centers will be open exclusively during the hours of 8 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 8 pm.
Bengaluru Metro Smart Cards: What are CSC and NCMC?
CSC cards are categorized as closed-loop cards, specifically designed for traveling exclusively on the Bengaluru Metro. In contrast, the RuPay NCMC is an open-loop card, aligning with the ‘One Nation, One Card’ initiative, which allows them to be used seamlessly across all transportation networks nationwide. Additionally, the NCMC possesses the versatility to serve beyond transportation, being accepted for shopping, retail transactions, and purchases at fuel outlets.
The concept of the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) was introduced by the Nandan Nilekani committee, which was established by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This five-member committee, led by Nilekani, the former chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), has put forth a series of recommendations.
Among these recommendations is the suggestion that all government payments to citizens be conducted digitally to decrease the prevalence of cash transactions in the country. Additionally, the NCMC will facilitate entry and exit at Metro stations through a smartphone-based system known as the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) system.