Passengers can also pay metro rail fare with Rapid Pass
Other than purchasing a Single Journey Ticket from the ticket vending machines and using MRT passes, passengers can also pay for the Dhaka Metro Rail fares with the Rapid Pass, issued by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA).
This card can be availed for just Tk400 by registering with your name and mobile number in certain branches of the Dutch Bangla Bank, which is the clearing bank of DTCA. Tk200 will be kept as deposit while the remaining Tk200 can be used as travel fare.
According to DTCA sources, under the project titled Establishing Clearing House for Integrating Transport Ticketing System in Dhaka City Area, the Rapid Pass was launched in 2017 in a limited scale. It could have been used to pay the fare of BRTC and some private buses.
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Using the card, which came with the slogan "One Card for all transport", fares can be paid for bus, metro rail, bus rapid transit (BRT), Bangladesh Railway and BIWTA water transport, said Shabiha Pervin, executive director, DTCA.
She informed that the implementation of the second phase of the project of Establishment of Clearing House for Integrating Transport Ticketing System in Dhaka City and Adjacent Districts costing about Tk84 crore is underway to ensure the use of this smart card in all types of public transport.
A clearing house will be established under this scheme, which will be responsible for distributing the fares collected under the scheme among the different transport companies according to their dues. After this work is completed, it will be possible to use this card to pay the fare of all transports, she said.
Metro rail ticket system
One can avail tickets from the ticket vending machine on the second floor of the metro rail station. Those who are unable to use the ticket vending machine can buy tickets with the help of metro rail staffers. Besides, the MRT pass holders can use their card to enter the paid zone. On reaching the destination from the platform, the MRT pass holders will punch the card again and leave the station. And single journey ticket holders will leave the card in a slot. Rapid pass holders can also enter and exit the station by swiping the card just like the MRT pass. MRT pass can be purchased from the metro stations.
What is Rapid Pass?
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Rapid Pass in early 2018. Like normal debit and credit cards, this rapid card also has a microchip. However, the paper ticket can be used only once, but this pass can be used as many times as desired, subject to balance. Once the balance is over, this card can be recharged again from the bank concerned.
This type of card is used in various countries, among which Japan introduced this card in 2005. DTCA took up a project in 2014 with financial and material support from Japan to introduce this system in Dhaka. The aim was to get the card to the public on a trial basis by 2016, but due to project delays, it was made possible in 2018.
How to get this card
This card can be availed in certain branches of Dutch Bangla Bank using name and mobile number at a cost of Tk400, of which Tk200 will remain as balance. It will take two days to complete the registration of this card. The Tk200 deposit can be refunded on submitting the card.
Ways of recharge
The Rapid Pass Card can be recharged from any of the 12 designated DBBL branches or ticket shops. Cards can be recharged with cash at Metro Rail ticket vending machines and BRTC ticket vending machines as ticket shops. A user can recharge from Tk100 to a maximum of Tk1000 at a time. The maximum balance allowed on Rapid Pass is Tk2,000.
