Narendra Modi launches National Common Mobility Card for Delhi Metro: All you need to know

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) service for the Delhi Metro’s Airport Express Line on Monday, 28 December. The launch came alongside the inauguration of the first driverless metro train on the Magenta Line of Delhi Metro and will lead to the use of a single interoperable card in the near future.This card is different from the usual metro card used by daily commuters for travelling across the National Capital Region. A part of PM Modi’s ‘One Nation One Card’ initiative, NCMC can be used at all transit locations and it will allow payment via smartphones. Once the card gets adopted widely, the automatic fare collection system will kickstart and the use of cash transactions can be reduced.Here is all you need to know about the NCMC:At present, the card is valid for the Delhi Airport Express Line only. This 23-km-long line runs from New Delhi to Dwarka Sector 21, as per a Times of India report.This transport card can be used for bus travel, paying parking charges, retail shopping, toll taxes, and for withdrawing money.Modi had announced the launch of the NCMC in March, 2019, while inaugurating the first phase of the Ahmedabad metro train service.The card will allow passengers who have a RuPay debit card, issued in the last 18 months to be swiped for metro travel. As many as 23 banks are included in the list, some of these are SBI, UCO Bank, Punjab National Bank, and Canara Bank.According to Hindustan Times, the idea behind NCMC was suggested by the Nandan Nilekani committee set up by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).The report cited a DMRC spokesperson stating that this facility is going to be available for the entire Delhi Metro network by the year 2022. During the Phase-IV project of Delhi Metro, the AFC system is set to fully accept NCMC. Following that the card can be used across other cities of the country as well.Bharat Electronics Limited has been appointed by the government to erect AFC gates for metro stations.The system of ‘One Nation, One Card’ is there in some other countries like South Korea.