Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi had launched ingenuously developed National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) on 28 December 2020. One Nation One Mobility Card will enable people to pay multiple kinds of transport charges including metro services and toll tax across the country. PM Modi also flagged off Delhi Metro’s first driverless train through video conferencing. People can now make National Common Mobility Card online registration and can even check how to apply online for NCMC.
National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) 2024
National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) or One Nation One Mobility Card is an inter-operable transport card which would allow the card holders to pay for their bus travel, toll taxes, parking charges, retail shopping and can even withdraw money. In the last FY, PM Modi had started this One Nation One Card initiative while inaugurating the 6.5 km stretch of phase I of Ahmedabad Metro, connecting Vastral to Apparel Park Area.
NCMC Online Registration – How to Apply
The RuPay Contactless Card with NCMC is now available with almost 25 banks, including SBI and PNB as debit, credit or prepaid cards. You will have to contact your bank to get the RuPay card. NCMC cards are issued from banks on debit/credit/pre-paid card product platform. A customer may use this single card for making payments across all segments including metro, bus, suburban railways, toll, parking, smart city and retail shopping.
The card can also be issued from PayTm Payments Bank. Dubbed as ‘One Nation One Card’, the inter-operable transport card would allow the holders to even withdraw money apart from the payment options. The card is supported by Automatic Fare Collection Gate ‘Swagat’ and an Open Loop Automatic Fare Collection System ‘Sweekar’, launched by PM Modi under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. This “Made In India” developed NCMC is a one-of-its-kind card and the country now no longer have to rely on foreign technology. Only a few selected countries have this technology of performing inter country operations.
One Nation One Mobility Card
One Nation One Mobility Card runs like RuPay Card and this NCMC initiative would eliminate all the travel related problems of citizens. Sometimes, people does not have the change to pay in cash while making travel in metro, bus, train or for toll and parking. To overcome this issue, an automatic fare collection system was introduced. India used to import this One Nation One Card system from foreign countries. As these systems were made by different players, a card issued in 1 city does not works in another city. Thus, govt. has asked various ministries, departments and banks to resolve this issue. Now the dream of One Nation One Mobility Card has finally been realized.
National Common Mobility Card Working on RuPay Card Platform
People can even withdraw money using this National Common Mobility Card (NCMC). People can utilize this RuPay card to travel in metros in any part of the country. In simple terms, the central govt. has merged RuPay card with the mobility card. As per the official sources, NCMC cards are bank issued cards on debit / credit / pre-paid card product platform.
Any customer can utilize this One Nation One Card to make payments across all segments which includes metro, bus, suburban railways, toll, parking, smart city and retail shopping. This NCMC card will have stored value on card which will also support offline transactions across all travel needs with minimum financial risks to all the involved stake-holders. Moreover, this card will also comprise of a service area feature which supports operator specific applications like monthly passes, season tickets etc.
Challenges Associated with Automatic Fare Collection System (AFC)
The major challenge associated with Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) system implementation in India till date is the lack of indigenous solution provider. AFC System (gates, readers/validators, backend infrastructure etc.) is the core of any transit operator to automate the fare collection process. As of now, AFC systems which are deployed at various metro locations are from foreign players.
So to avoid vendor lock-in and create an inter-operable system, govt. has developed National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) under Make in India initiative. The central govt. aims to ensure a seamless travel across metros and other transport systems. In addition to this, govt. also wants to facilitate citizens in retail shopping and purchases.
National Common Mobility Card Launch by PM Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurate India’s first-ever driverless train operations on Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line, which connects Janakpuri West and Botanical Garden along with launching the fully operational National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) services on the Airport Express Line.
These innovations are going to herald a new era of travelling, comfort and enhanced mobility for Delhi-NCR residents. With the commencement of driverless trains on the Delhi Metro’s Magenta Line, DMRC enters into elite league of 7% of world’s Metro networks, which can operate without drivers.
DMRC also announced that after the 37-km Magenta Line, they are also preparing to introduce the driverless technology on the 57-km Pink Line corridor (Shiv Vihar-Majlis Park) by mid-2021. This would increase the driverless network on the Delhi Metro to around 94kms, which is nearly 9% of Delhi Metro’s total network. People can use National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) to travel in these driverless trains.
Driverless Trains for 1st Time in India
The driver-less trains will be fully automated, which will require minimum human intervention and will eliminate the possibilities of human errors. Delhi Metro has been a pioneer in introducing technology driven solutions for passenger comfort and this is another step in the same direction.
Officials explained that the driverless train technology has set standards for automation called grades of automation (GoA). In GoA 1, trains are run by one driver and, in GoA 2 and GoA 3, the role of the driver is reduced to operating doors and for taking over in case of emergencies – the starting and halting of trains is automated. Finally, in the GoA 4, trains are set on a completely unattended operations mode.
At the Magenta line between Janakpuri West and Botanical Garden, GoA 3 will be adopted for the services. Apart from this, the Delhi Metro on Monday will also begin the use of the National Common Mobility Card, on the Airport Express Line. This will allow passengers carrying a RuPay debit card issued in the last 18 months by 23 banks to swipe these for Metro travel. Passengers from any part of the country will now be able to travel on the Airport Express line using this card. This facility will become available on the entire Delhi Metro network by 2022.
Source / Reference Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/pm-modi-to-flag-off-delhi-metro-s-first-driverless-train-national-common-mobility-card-today/story-MOoMeWDG5f5DLHvrSl7HaN.html