Bengaluru's Namma Metro to restrict the sale of Contactless Smart Cards. Here is why

The move is taken to promote the sale of the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) which will be available at all metro stations.

The Namma Metro in Bengaluru will be restricting the sale of its Contactless Smart Cards (CSC) starting from Monday, said Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRC). The move is taken to promote the sale of the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) which will be available at all metro stations.

Bengaluru's Namma Metro to restrict the sale of contactless cards. Here is why(PTI File Photo)

In an announcement, BMRCL said, “Namma Metro is taking steps to phase out its closed loop Smart Cards in the coming days to reduce passenger wallet burden of having different cards for travel and shopping needs. NCMCs will be available for sale at Bengaluru metro stations and CSCs will only be available between 8am – 11am and 5pm – 8pm.”

The metro officials have also highlighted the benefits of availing an NCMC for the daily users of metro train services in the IT Capital. “Namma Metro Contactless Smart Cards (CSC) are closed loop cards and can be used for travel only in Namma Metro. Whereas RuPay National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) which are open loop cards is in line with ‘One Nation One Card’ which are interoperable across all transport systems in the Country, wherever implemented for a seamless travel experience. In addition, the Single NCMC can also be used for Shopping needs at Retail Stores, Petrol Bunks,” read the announcement further.

The idea of NCMC was floated by the Nandan Nilekani committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The five-member committee under Nilekani, the former chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has also proposed a host of measures, including all payments by the government to citizens through the digital mode, to reduce the number of cash transactions in the country. It will also allow entry and exit from Metro stations with the help of a smartphone, known as the automatic fare collection (AFC) system.