As the construction of metro rail is advancing near to its completion, the authority concerned formed a committee that will work to determine the fares of metro rail.
A nine-member committee headed by the Executive Director of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) will consider the overall issues and make recommendations for fixing the fare.
However, the final decision will be taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
During the performance test of metro rail from Uttara to Agargaon, talking with project officials such information was found.
Talking to Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) officials, it was learnt that based on the project management cost, staff salaries, construction cost, investment, cost of foreign loan, etc. the committee will recommend a fare. In the meantime, the committee has sought all necessary information from the DMTCL authority.
The committee is likely to get all these information within this month.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges will look into the matter after receiving this recommendation. It will then be sent to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for a final decision and her approval.
Experts said that in order to make Metrorail popular, fares should be passenger-friendly and affordable. The fare should be calculated strategically so that the project could be profitable gradually.
Passengers Welfare Association secretary general Mozammel Haque Chowdhury while talking to Bangladesh Post said, “It’s a thousand crores taka project, but its fare should be affordable that can attract everyone to travel on it. Otherwise, aim of this project will go in vain.
Transport expert Professor Shamsul Hoque of Bangladesh University of Engineering (BUET) told media that DMTCL needs to create interest among the passengers first. High fare will create a barrier to common people.
The first metro rail in the country will have 24 train sets. Each set will have six coaches. Each set has a capacity of carrying 2,308 passengers. Metrorail will carry about 60,000 passengers per hour on both sides.
The 20.10-kilometer (km) metro rail is being constructed from Uttara to Motijheel at a cost of around Tk 22,000 crore to reduce traffic congestion in the capital.
Of the total cost of Tk 22,000 crore, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will give Tk 16,595 crore while the rest of the fund will come from the government exchequer.