Special Correspondent:
“Metro Rail” becoming more and more popular among city commuters is causing a divide among them as most low-income people cannot afford it for its high ticket cost, technological hassle, and poor environment.
But the middle and lower classes of the city are enjoying the new taste of commuting with a tireless, timely, and affordable journey.
Both groups have expressed their different opinions about the city’s new arrival, which has already won the hearts of a large number of commuters.
While talking with a group of construction workers waiting for a bus at Motijheel to visit their site at Mazar Road, Mirpur Abdur Rahman (33) told Business Mirror that when we approached the station, they asked for Tk 630 to go to Mirpur 10 for our seven people. “It is too much; better we choose the bus, which costs Tk 200 instead,” Abdur Rahman said.
Another commuter, Anisur Rahman (40), a vegetable vendor at Kawranbazar, told this correspondent that I waited for about half an hour for a ticket to go to Uttara. “It is very time-consuming to get a ticket,” Rahman added.
Rahima Khatun, a middle-aged lunch supplier at Segunbaghicha, told me that it was run by electricity, was more automated, and that rich people used it. “My granddaughter was arguing for a ride on the metro, but it felt very complex to run,” Rahima told.
While middle-class passengers expressed their very joyous experience to Business Mirror about the Metro Rail Journey,.
“It is like a dream; my daughter went to Dhaka University within only half an hour. Thank you, Prime Minister, for this gift,” Arifa Banu, a resident of Uttara, told Business Mirror.
Another communicator, Shirin Shaila (38) who is working at a bank in Motijheel, told me that she never thought she could manage everything, even traveling such a long distance.
An elderly man Abul Hossain, who resides in Lalbagh, said the train is very suitable and affordable, as he visits his only daughter’s home to see his granddaughter at Pallabi frequently.
Loveli Banu (28) working at a buying house in Uttara said a separate compartment for female commuters makes it very popular among female commuters.
Foysal Mahmud is the moderator of a Facebook group called “Metro Rail Passengers Community—DHAKA.” He takes the metro from Motijheel to Mirpur to get to class at Government Bangabandhu College.
“The journey that used to take 2-3 hours on public transport is now down to 30 minutes. For many passengers on the MRT-6 like me, it is now close to our hearts,” he said.
Metrorail is the most modernized, fastest, and most popular form of urban communication. Dhaka is one of the most populous megacities in the world. The Metrorail project was a timely step in solving the traffic congestion problem in Dhaka city.
According to a study by the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development, the average speed of vehicles on Dhaka roads was around 21.2 km per hour in 2004, but in 2015 it decreased to 6.8 km per hour. It took 3–4 hours to go from Uttara to Motijheel by bus. Which now takes 40 minutes because of the metro rail, there will be no traffic jams. It will change people’s lifestyles and increase workers’ work productivity, which will play an essential role in the country’s economic growth.
In 2018, a BUET survey found that traffic congestion in Dhaka city costs an additional $4.4 billion annually, which is more than 15 percent of the country’s overall budget. In addition, according to the 2017 World Bank report, 3.8 million working hours are lost daily. Due to the loss of working hours, the country’s economy has had a substantial negative impact. Due to the Metrorail, these adverse effects will transform into positive ones.
The electrified train on the Uttara-Motijheel route is officially known as Mass Rapid Transit Line-6, or MRT Line-6. The Metrorail significantly reduces the number of other vehicles and thus reduces carbon emissions by 2.02 lakh metric tons annually, which will significantly impact the climate.
