Bengaluru metro commuters raise questions over unused balance in smart cards as NCMC adoption grows

As more commuters shift to National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) following its acceptance on Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses, questions are being raised over the unused balance in existing Namma Metro smart cards.

Commuters who have used the metro traditional smart cards for years said they were unable to transfer the remaining balance to an NCMC card or obtain a refund while the existing smart card was still valid and usable.

Prakash H.S., a commuter from Jayanagara who recently switched to the NCMC card for greater convenience across public transport systems, said that he attempted to recover the balance in his old metro smart card but were informed by the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) staff that a refund or transfer was not possible as long as the card remained usable.

“This creates a practical problem for passengers who want completely transition to the NCMC cards. In their case, the remaining balance could not be fully utilised because the fare for a regular journey was around ₹67, while the card required a minimum balance of ₹90,” he said.

Another commuter, Swathi Nayak from Dasarahalli, said, “The minimum recharge amount is ₹50, making it difficult to use the remaining balance precisely without either making an additional recharge or leaving an unused amount on the card.”

As a result, Ms. Nayak estimated that around ₹30 could remain unused, in addition to the ₹50 paid initially for the smart card, which is understood to be non-refundable.

While the amount involved may be relatively small, commuters argued that the issue was about the principle of retaining passengers’ unused money when they had moved to a newer and more widely usable payment system.

Meanwhile, the BMRCL officials said they would look into the issue and rectify it. However, they did not respond to queries about the corrective measures taken on this issue.