The city railways on Wednesday embarked on an ambitious project to have access control stations for local trains with the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC). It has roped in Ernst and Young LLP as technical and financial consultants to get the common transport card project implemented.
The kick-off meeting for the project was held with MRVC, Central Railway and Western Railway officials on Wednesday to discuss the approach and methodology. As of now the NCMC can be used only on the city’s public bus transport, BEST undertaking.
“The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), the planning and execution body for railway projects on the Mumbai Suburban Railway, is working towards the integrated travel card on behalf of the Indian Railways. Implementation of the NCMC system is expected to start in the latter part of this financial year, which is by March 2023,” an MRVC official said. “As per the initial plan, card readers will be installed at all entry points.
Commuters will need to tap the card after which money will be deducted and a ticket will be generated. For ticket-checking, handheld devices will be provided,” he added. He said the rollout would be in phases and during the transition phase, people will be able to use the existing system. The project will be rolled out with Rupay contactless technology as per the guidelines of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), enabling the platform to integrate with other payment schemes in future.
“The project will facilitate a multi-purpose card for commuters that will provide not only a seamless travel experience but also integration with multiple modes of transport systems operating in the city as well as other retail services.
Alongside it will help the administration to enhance its data-driven decision-making capabilities,” he added. The travel card is expected to provide commuters with a single payment infrastructure service, which will enhance the existing ticketing options.
