United News of Bangladesh

The National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR) has urged the government to reduce the fare of metro rail by 50 per cent. President of the organization Md. Shahid Mia and General Secretary Ashis Kumar Dey issued a statement in this regard today (September 7, 2022). Read: Dhaka Metro Rail fare set at Tk 5/km Criticizing the government's decision to set the fare at 5 taka per kilometer and a minimum of 20 taka, the statement of the civic organization said, where the minimum fare of private buses is 10 taka, the fare of state transport companies like railways is completely unfair, unexpected and unacceptable. As a result, travel expenses of general people will increase, on the other hand, private transport owners, including buses and minibuses, will be benefited more, the statement said. The leaders of the NCPSRR said that due to increase in fuel price, the cost of transportation has increased excessively. Read:Metro Rail (MRT Line-6) project cost goes up by Tk 11,486 cr; Gets Ecnec nod At the same time, due to abnormal hike in prices of essential goods, including medicines, people's living cost has increased by more than 40 percent. The statement said, low and fixed income people are struggling to support their families. The National Committee strongly demanded that the minimum fare of this state-run transport should be reduced by 50 percent to Tk 10 and the fare per kilometer should be reduced from Tk 5 to Tk 3.

Travelling on Dhaka Metro may pinch your pocket. The Bangladesh government has fixed the minimum fare at Tk 20 -- that's Tk 5 per kilometre, more than double what you shell out for a bus ride (Tk 2.45 a kilometre) in the densely populated metropolis. "The minimum metro fare has been fixed at Tk 20 and the maximum at Tk 100," said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader. Also read: Metro Rail (MRT Line-6) project cost goes up by Tk 11,486 cr; Gets Ecnec nod "Commuters have to pay Tk 100 for a ride from Uttara to Motijheel as per kilometre fare has been fixed at Tk 5," the Minister told reporters after visiting the Uttara Metro Rail Depot. However, those who will use weekly, monthly and family cards will enjoy special discounts while the wounded Freedom Fighters can travel free of cost, he said. The government has set a December deadline to inaugurate the metro train service from Uttara to Agargaon. The remaining stretch of the metro -- from Agargaon to Motijheel -- will be unveiled next year. Also read: Govt to start feasibility study on Metrorail in Chattogram: Quader Bangladesh’s first metro rail on a 20.1 km-route from Uttara to Motijheel became completely visible on January 22 after the installation of the last girder of the viaduct. The original length of the metro rail route was 20.1km from Uttara to Motijheel, but it has now been extended by 1.16km to Kamalapur Railway Station.