Bangladesh JatriKalyanSamity has called upon the authorities concerned to reduce by at least 50 per cent the fares, now set at four times those of Kolkata, for Metrorail travel in Dhaka city.
The JatriKalyanSamity made the demand on Saturday (December 16), just a couple of days before the opening of first phase of MRT Line-6 of Metrorail as it is going to be opened from December 29.
Secretary General of the organisation M MozammelHaque Choudhury placed the demand on behalf of the organisation at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity.
The JatriKalyanSamity claimed that it is unreasonable to set the fare at double of what the Dhaka bus charges, without considering any passenger feedback or observation.
Speaking at the press conference, MozammelHaque Choudhury said, “The fare of Metrorail in Kolkata of India is comparably less than other transports on the road. It is clearly mentioned on their website. The minimum fare of Metrorail in Kolkata is 5 rupee or 6 taka. The minimum fare of Metrorail in Bangladesh has already been fixed at 20 taka. The maximum fare of Metrorail in Kolkata is 25 rupee or 31 taka. In Dhaka, the maximum fare is 100 taka.”
He also said, “The fare of Metrorail here is four times that of Kolkata.”
He also termed the fare illogical as it was fixed without consulting with the passengers and proper observation. “The socio-economic condition, average income and GDP are almost the same in Dhaka and Kolkata. But, the fare of metro rail per kilometer is double in Dhaka than Kolkata and the minimum fare is four times higher than that in Kolkata. It will severely harm the interest of passengers,” he said.
As a result, it will be harder to reach the goal of passenger transportation in the metro rail, he added.
He also said, “The passengers will be affected due to the high fare of metro rail. The bus companies will be benefitted.”