Dhaka University metro rail station is now open for commuters to use. For the non-resident DU students and others, it has come as a joyous relief. This station can be considered as a game-changer, especially for those who travel to DU campus from north Dhaka. What would take hours on road through traffic jams is now a mere 20-minute journey from Mirpur and less than 30 minutes from Uttara. The metro rail service, however, has no half-fare ticket system for students. It is free for the children of less than threefoot height and freedom fighters while people with disabilities get 15 per cent waiver against the ticket fare. But there is no concession for school, college or university students. Dhaka metro rail, officially known as Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), is a state-run public transport project. It cannot charge full fare from students. The way BRTC (Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation)-owned public buses allow students half fare, metro rail authorities should start doing the same.
Many students of Dhaka city rely on public buses to travel to their educational institutions and return. Showing the identity cards issued by their respective schools, colleges and universities, these students enjoy a 50 per cent concession against the actual prices of ticket both in public and private buses. Following a student demonstration in 2021, the government issued a gazette notification announcing half bus fare for students. Since then, students have been enjoying this facility as a right. And this waiver has helped many students save some money. It may seem to be a scanty amount to many but for the students it is a big help. The MRT authorities have fixed the minimum per kilometre fare at Tk 5 for the metro rail service, which is Tk 2.5 in public buses. A single trip from Uttara to DU's TSC costs Tk 90 in the metro rail. A non-resident DU student in Uttara has to pay around Tk 200 every day as transport cost. Isn't it too much for a student?
Half pass in public transport is not a new concept. One of the 11-point demands made by the students of Dhaka University on the eve of the mass uprising of 1969 was to ensure half fare for students in public transport. The then-Pakistan government was forced to implement it. The system has been in place for many years after independence and it has become an unwritten rule since then. However, the website of Dhaka metro rail that says, 'there is no half fare for students' is not only surprising but also shocking for us. Students across the world enjoy various facilities. One of those is paying half fare when travelling by public transport. It is practised in many countries including our neighbouring India and Pakistan. So, half-price ticket for students in public transports like metro rail should not be considered as a favour. It is a right of the students. And they should enjoy it everywhere including metro rail. How can the MRT authorities forget that the students are our future?
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