New Delhi, Aug 1: The Central Government has no national smart public transport scheme for integrated public transport, digital ticketing, non-motorised transport and last-mile connectivity.
Stating this, the government has noted that urban planning is primarily the responsibility of state governments.
Urban planning is a State subject, making state governments responsible for planning, initiating and developing urban infrastructure projects, including public transport systems, congestion reduction measures and digital mobility initiatives, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha yesterday.
The Centre, however, has issued policy frameworks such as the National Urban Transport Policy 2006 and the Metro Policy 2017 to guide the systematic planning and execution of public transport projects, including metro rail systems, across the country.
Although there is no dedicated national scheme for integrated public transport, Sahu said the Centre provides financial assistance for electric buses under schemes such as PM e-Bus Sewa and PM e-Drive, besides supporting metro rail projects proposed by state governments. Digital ticketing and integrated public transport are treated as priority components under these interventions.
NCMC Expanding Across Cities
The government also highlighted the rollout of the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), an interoperable payment system developed under the “One Nation, One Card” vision.
According to the minister, the NCMC ecosystem, based on NPCI’s qSPARC specification, is currently operational across 13 metro projects and 11 bus transport corporations. The system enables seamless ticketing across metro, RRTS and bus services, encouraging commuters to shift from private vehicles to public transport and helping reduce traffic congestion.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has also mandated the implementation of NCMC-based Automatic Fare Collection Systems for buses under the PM e-Bus Sewa guidelines.
In addition, the Centre provides financial assistance for urban transport planning under its “Transport Planning and Capacity Building in Urban Transport for Metro and Non-Metro Projects” sub-scheme. Eligible activities include preparation of Integrated Mobility Plans, Detailed Project Reports and multimodal integration plans, subject to proposals submitted by state governments and their feasibility. (BVI)
