Metro rail opens for public use
Initially, the metro train will run from 8 am to 12 noon every day from Uttara to Agargaon stations without any stoppage
The Dhaka Metro Rail has been opened to the public today after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the project yesterday. Metro rail service will run on Agargaon to Uttara and Uttara to Agargaon routes from 8am from Thursday (29 December).
Passengers flocked to the stations with enthusiasm and stood in long lines since early morning to buy tickets and board the metro rail.
Some are office goers, while some came with their families to take a ride in the country's first metro service. Many were seen taking selfies as, despite the long queue, people standing in the line were in a festive mood.
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A passenger named Iqbal Hossain said that he will go to Uttara by metro rail.
"Metro rail will be opened to public today. I came to ride it. I have always seen it abroad. Today I will ride the metro rail of my country," he said.
Mujahidul Islam, a government employee, said, "I have come today to ride the metro rail. From here I will go to Uttara and come back again. It is very good that metro rail has started in the country."
"I came with my family this morning to ride the metro rail. It is nice that we have metro rail like developed countries. So I didn't want to miss the first experience," said Iftekharul Alam, who came with his family.
Some 30 shuttle buses of the state-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) have been kept ready at Agargaon station for the passengers coming from Uttara. The double-decker buses are scheduled to leave the station every 10 minutes.
BRTC Depot Manager Nur e Alarm, said, "The shuttle bus service has started its operation from sharp at 8am. The buses are leaving every 10 minutes no matter the number of passengers boarding them."
"Since the Metrorail will run till 12pm for the next few months, the shuttle service here will be available till 12.30pm. As there will be no more passengers coming here via metro rail from Uttara after 12pm, the appointed buses will have regular run from Mirpur-10," the BRTC manager added.
PM Hasina inaugurated the operation of the first phase of the project-- Uttara to Agargaon from Uttara sector-15 playground. She took the first official ride from Diabari of Uttara to Agargaon after buying a ticket. Marking the occasion, she also unveiled a commemorative stamp and a banknote.
Bangladesh is the third country in South Asia to operate metro rail service - being a late starter in the expensive and complicated venture compared to neighboring India which got its first metro commissioned in 1984 in Kolkata. Pakistan started its first metro in Lahore just two years ago.
Initially, the metro train will run from 8 am to 12 noon every day from Uttara to Agargaon stations without any stoppage. State-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) will operate 30 double decker buses to transport passengers from and to metro rail stations.
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It will take 10 minutes to reach Agargaon from Uttara on metro rail and 17 minutes once all stations are opened, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said on Tuesday.
The metro rail route from Agargaon to Motijheel will be completed within December 2023 and the part from Motijheel to Kamalapur by 2025. After the metro rail project is completed, the distance from Uttara to Kamalapur will be 22 kilometres, he added.
Dos and Don'ts
Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) issued a set of restrictions for the public including a ban on smoking or food intake whilst at the Metro stations.
Metro trains, platforms and the entire station area have been declared smoke-free. So passengers cannot smoke while taking the Metro rail services nor indulge in food and beverages on platforms and stations.
Littering at the railway premises except in designated trash cans is prohibited. Besides that, passengers have been advised against spitting after chewing betel leaf to prevent polluting the station.
Beggars will not be allowed to enter the Metro rail premises. Ferrying any kind of goods, especially bulky ones is barred. Carrying firearms, pets, and transporting dangerous goods is strictly prohibited.
Male passengers will not be allowed to board on women's coaches of the Metro rail. Reserved seats for the elderly and people with special needs in each coach cannot be occupied by others. Occupying more than one seat is also barred.
Posters, banners and graffiti have been banned to maintain the overall beauty of the station.
How to buy tickets
Passengers have to buy tickets from the second floor of the three-storied stations which are set up at short distances along the rail track. From the third floor, they will board the train that will initially operate on an 11km rail track from Uttara to Agargaon. After reaching the destination, passengers have to leave the platform using the ticket once again.
Metro rail fares have already been fixed at Tk5 per kilometer with a minimum fare of Tk20. One can travel by the Metro train using a Single Journey Ticket and MRT Pass. Single Journey Tickets can be bought automatically from the Ticket Vending Machine (TVM). Those who cannot use it can get their tickets from the Ticket Office Machine (TOM) with the help of a seller. A maximum of five tickets can be bought at once from the two ticketing counters.
MRT Pass holders can enter the platform by scanning their pass at designated scanners at the entrance to the pass-paid zone. After reaching the destination station and scanning the card again, the fixed fare will be deducted before they exit the station.
In case of a Single Journey Ticket, an MRT pass will be provided. Passengers can exit the station after entering the platform and punching this card.
