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Frequent card failures, blocked recharges, and frozen ticket machines spark frustration among Metro users as BMRCL struggles to stabilise the National Common Mobility Card system.
Persistent issues with the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) system have triggered widespread frustration among Bengaluru Metro commuters, with reports indicating repeated breakdowns across several stations. According to internal sources within Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), the system witnessed nearly 200 failed transactions within a 40-minute window during the morning rush on November 24, highlighting the scale of the malfunction.
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Commuters reported that recharges made through the NCMC frequently failed to process as Ticket Office Machines (TOMs) froze mid-transaction. This has resulted in long queues, repeated payment failures, and heated exchanges between staff and passengers attempting to access the Metro network. Many have taken to social media and customer service channels demanding that the Metro revert to the earlier closed-loop CSC cards, which were considered more reliable.
BMRCL officials, however, maintain that returning to CSC cards is not feasible because the NCMC, conceptualised by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, is designed as a nationwide interoperable transit card. The card, issued through the RuPay network, is currently active for approximately 65,000 Metro users in Bengaluru and can be used for multiple services including retail payments, tolls, and public transport.
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The NCMC gained major visibility when Prime Minister Narendra Modi used it during the inauguration of the Whitefield-Krishnarajapura Metro stretch in March 2023. Despite this push for universal mobility integration, the card has yet to be accepted by the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), limiting its full-scale utility in the city.
