Pune: The Government of India's 'Open Network for Digital Commerce' (ONDC) system and the 'National Common Mobility Card' (NCMC) under the 'One Nation, One Card' concept were inaugurated at the Pune Maharashtra
Metro Rail Corporation (MahaMetro) on Monday by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Fadnavis said, “These changes will eliminate the need for passengers to stand in queues to buy tickets. Since this card can be used at any public transport location in the country, metro passengers will now get great relief.”
Both these facilities, provided through the central government, were launched by Chief Minister Fadnavis. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Muralidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Anna Bansode, MLA Hemant Rasne, MahaMetro Managing Director Shravan Hardikar, and Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram were present on the occasion.
Hardikar stated, "The response to the Metro in Pune is increasing. However, passengers were facing problems such as the time taken to buy tickets and long queues at the ticket counters. Previously, the Metro travel facility was available through HDFC Bank. Now, with the launch of the NCMC card, the facility will be applicable to any bank in the country. Therefore, it will be easy to use."
Hardikar also mentioned that through the ONDC scheme, metro passengers will be able to purchase tickets directly without a QR code using applications like Amazon, Flipkart, Paytm, PhonePe, or any other application. This will save travel time.
“With the objective of ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted travel experience on the 'MahaMetro', the advanced facilities of 'ONDC' and 'NCMC' have been introduced alongside the existing services. This will benefit the passengers,” said Fadnavis.
What is ONDC?
'Open Network for Digital Commerce' (ONDC) is an online network application facility. Through this, sellers and buyers can be connected simultaneously through multiple platforms using the network. Customers do not need to use a QR code for payment every time. This allows for direct payments through apps like Paytm, PhonePe, or Google Pay.
What is NCMC?
'National Common Mobility Card' (NCMC) is a scheme under the Central Government's 'One Nation One Card' concept. It is a contactless RuPay-based smart card that can be easily used across metro, railways, buses, toll plazas, and parking lots throughout the country. It can be used anywhere in the country's public transport system. It can also be used for retail purchases and ATM services. Therefore, there is no need to carry a separate card or cash.
