Why not set up a food court in metro rail stations?
As Bangladeshi citizens, we expect more and better metro stations in Dhaka city so that people can commute in peace. And facilities like food courts are imperative here
Dhaka city dwellers have already started to enjoy the facilities of the MRT-6 – metro rail. They can now commute from Uttara North to Mirpur 10. They will soon enjoy riding from Uttara North to Mirpur 11 and Kazipara station from 15 March onwards.
Inside the trains, it is strictly prohibited to eat anything to maintain cleanliness. However, once the service is fully open and people begin to fully rely on it, they are likely to be in a hurry to reach their destination.
In order to attract more passengers, the authority can consider installing food courts inside or outside the metro stations.
Generally, the metro stations are spacious enough with the exception of a few such as Mirpur 10, Kazipara and Shewrapa. Thus, only the key stations where the train will start or end could be a primary focus for food courts. And the establishments could include fast food items, water, juice, fresh fruits, ice cream, medicine corners, etc.
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Around the world
If we look at some of the recently established metro stations around the world, examples of food courts and fast food shops near or inside the metro stations are plenty. Our neighbouring country India has many famous food courts adjacent to the metro stations. China has food courts in most of their busy metro stations where people can sit, relax and enjoy a quick meal. McDonald's and Burger King are commonplace in those metro stations.
In Japan, rather than full-fledged convenience stores or food courts, vending machines are established in an organised manner and people use them frequently.
In London, one of the most crowded cities in the world, metro stations are surrounded by attractive food shops where people can wait, relax, check the train schedule, grab a cup of coffee and plan ahead. This is an example of a good quality lifestyle that we can expect after the inauguration of the long-awaited metro rail.
The Nord station in Paris is famous for Eurostar trains (high-speed trains) that come from international destinations. The station is very busy. However, it is fully loaded with sufficient food items from various renowned shops. Passengers can have a light meal there or enjoy a glass of fresh fruit juice after a long journey. This is a physiological need of any human anywhere in the world.
A new facility
Since 28 December 2022, MRT 6 carried 4.5 lakh passengers within just one and a half months. Needless to say that people of Bangladesh are not familiar with this kind of service. This is absolutely new to them unless they travelled to some other countries and enjoyed this kind of service.
To maintain standards with international metro stations, the authority can think about possible amenities like access to food courts. This will not only attract more passengers but also generate increased revenue for the government.
The question is how? Well, there are several ways. Although it is difficult at the beginning to commence, it might be possible if the authority takes it seriously.
The biggest challenge is to find suitable spaces. Another challenge is to decide on the type of store or food court or even vending machine that will be made available for passengers. Apart from that, cleanliness should be maintained strictly. And those who are to run these businesses should be very strict and sincere in maintaining health, hygiene and cleanliness protocols.
In this regard, the popular chain shops or restaurants could be given priority as they maintain this kind of standard already. The shops could be allowed space at these metro stations on a rental basis for a particular period of time.
Before the inauguration of the metro rail, many people talked about the possible challenges of cleanliness and maintenance. However, so far, the metro rail is neat and clean. The passengers are sophisticated and they seem to care about the metro rail.
As a regular passenger, I have not seen anyone littering inside the metro rail. People are enjoying the new service with their loved ones and expressing happiness. This happiness could be increased if the authority thinks outside of the box and plans for additional facilities like food courts.
The people of Bangladesh are excited to get the metro rail facility. If the authority is optimistic about the additional facilities, metro rail will gain more popularity day by day. This will not only generate revenue for the government but also open the scope of more and more metro lines similar to developed countries.
As Bangladeshi citizens, it is our dream to get more metro stations in Dhaka city so that people can commute in peace and happiness. At the same time, we expect better metro stations.
Dr Syed Far Abid Hossain is an Assistant Professor of BRAC Business School, BRAC University, Dhaka.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
