Mumbai to get unified smart card

The Ministry of Urban Development has launched an initiative to produce a unified smart card for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), also called ‘More Mumbai’, can be used to buy tickets for suburban trains, buses, metro rail and monorail. It can also be used to pay auto rickshaw fares, taxi fares, parking charges and toll fees. The Ministry has appointed M/s UTI Infrastructure Technology and Services Ltd as the national technology provider for the initiative. UTI Infra will assist MMRDA and other transit agencies to implement unified ticketing solutions. Top officials of the railways, bus transport corporations and municipal corporations discussed the initiative at a meeting conducted by the MMRDA. According to Dilip Kawathkar, Joint Project Director (PR), MMRDA, “Easy access to various transport modes, avoiding standing in queues, an environment- friendly option and eliminating the constant quarrel over the return of change by ticketing staff are some of the advantages the card offers to stressed out Mumbai residents.”