Fixing fare for Dhaka metro rail: No decision yet

Fare for the much-awaited metro rail service -- which is expected to be introduced in Dhaka in December this year -- has not yet been fixed even though a committee in this regard was formed more than a year and half ago.

The committee held only two meetings since September 2020 when it was formed, and both meetings ended seeking a "specific proposal" over the fare from the metro rail authorities.

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL), the implementing and operating agency of the metro rail project, took around a year for submitting its proposal.

It proposed a fare of Tk 100 from Uttara to Motijheel and Tk 20 as the minimum fare, according to sources. However, the committee did not accept the proposal as it lacks specifications and details.

DMTCL has recently sent a fresh proposal to the committee, said officials.

Meanwhile, people's curiosity regarding the fare has also increased after the authorities last year announced to start its commercial operation partially from this December.

The issue came to the fore again after a "mock" fair chart set up at the metro station went viral on social media yesterday. Several individuals contacted this newspaper to know whether the chart is authentic or not.

Mass Rapid Transit Line-6, also known as MRT-6, the country's first metro rail line, is being implemented to build the 20.10km elevated metro rail from Uttara to Motijheel in the third phase at the cost of TK 21,985 crores.

The authorities are working to expand the line to Kamalapur. The project's cost is likely to increase as well.

MAN Siddique, DMTCL managing director, yesterday visited Uttara North Station to see the mockup of different signs, signals, and information to be displayed there.

A mock fare chart was also tagged there, which later went viral on social media.

The MD yesterday reiterated that the commercial operation of the Uttara-Agargaon section will be launched on December 16.

The project witnessed overall progress of 77.82 percent, while the first phase saw 91.41 percent progress till March.

Once completed, the metro rail will be able to carry 60,000 people an hour, bringing down the commute time between Uttara and Motijheel to around 40 minutes from two hours.

PROPOSALS ON METRO FARE

On September 9, 2020, the Road Transport and Highway Division, following the Metro Rail Act-2015, formed a seven-member committee led by the executive director of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) to fix the metro rail fare.

During its first meeting on January 10, 2021, the committee asked DMTCL to submit a proposal for fares.

DMTCL took around a year and submitted a proposal to the committee in December last year, according to documents.

DMTCL and the committee maintained top secrecy about the proposal. Even the documents shared with committee members on its second meeting on February 16 this year, were taken back from them after the meeting.

However, according to sources, the proposal forwarded by DMTCL is not concrete. They proposed Tk 100 as the fare for Uttara to Motijheel and Tk 20 as the minimum fare.

Neelima Akhter, executive director of DTCA, said they have asked DMTCL to submit a concrete proposal regarding the fare.

Meanwhile, the authorities on March 16 brought reform to the committee by changing several of its members.

Contacted, AKM Hafizur Rahman, member secretary of the committee, said DMTCL has recently sent a fresh proposal to the committee.

MAN Siddique, however, asked this correspondent to talk with the committee chief over the issue through a text sent over the phone.