The Dhaka metro rail has reached a new milestone, transporting over 400,000 passengers in a single day.
The urban train service, which currently operates between Uttara and Motijheel, saw a record 403,164 users on Thursday, the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited, or DMTCL, announced on its Facebook page.
The metro authorities expressed its gratitude to passengers, well-wishers and stakeholders for helping achieve the record.
The DMTCL also underlined its commitment to serving passengers and sought their continued cooperation.
Earlier, during a meeting with members of Reporters for Rail & Road (RRR) on Feb 4, DMTCL Managing Director Mohammad Abdur Rouf noted that on Feb 3, 382,000 commuters travelled on the metro, which was a marked increase from the initial 15,000 to 20,000 daily passengers.
"Our target is to transport 500,000 passengers a day, which will mark our break-even point," said Rouf. "With reduced headway, this target will soon be within reach. Extending the service to Tongi will also help increase passenger numbers."
The MRT-6 route was launched in phases. First, the Uttara to Agargaon section opened, with several months of trial runs. Later, the Agargaon to Motijheel section was added.
Passenger service began on Dec 29, 2022, on the Uttara to Agargaon route. By Mar 31, 2023, all stations on this section had opened.
Initially, the trains operated for four hours a day, later extending to six hours. Trains now run every eight minutes during peak hours, compared to the 20-minute intervals during the early days. Many passengers initially used the metro for leisure trips. The service initially operated from 8am to 12pm and then extended to 2pm starting on Apr 5, 2023.
During the six-month experimental phase from December 2022 to June 2023, the metro generated revenue of Tk 182.8 million.
Former road transport and bridges Obaidul Quader disclosed the figure in Parliament on Mar 4, 2024.
After nearly a year of operations, full service from Uttara to Motijheel began on Nov 4, 2023. Initially, trains ran from 8am to 11:30am, but operating hours were gradually extended to 7am-10pm.
Once the entire Uttara to Motijheel route was fully operational, the DMTCL reported that the metro earned over Tk 10 million daily.
From its inauguration until Mar 8, 2023, the metro carried 790,000 passengers in 70 days. At that time, the fare for the Uttara to Agargaon route was a maximum of Tk 60, with around 10,000 passengers using the metro daily.
Currently, the metro serves between 300,000 to 350,000 passengers daily across the entire route.
—bdnews24.com
