The cabinet approved Monday the draft 'Metro Rail Act 2014' with stringent punitive provisions for violating the rules set for operating and travelling on the modern mass transport.
"The cabinet has passed the Metro Rail Act 2014 having provision of Tk 10 million (1.0 crore) fine and 10 years' imprisonment for operating metro rail without licence or illegal handover of licence for operating the metro rail," Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the media.
He spoke at the press briefing after the day's cabinet meeting that also endorsed some other rules and regulations, including two on SAARC regional energy cooperation and rail communications.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presided over the meeting at the Cabinet Division of Bangladesh Secretariat.
The cabinet secretary said that the draft law also kept the provision of five years' imprisonment or Tk 50,000 fine for obstruction of metro-rail traffic.
He said the Tk 220 billion project for setting up the 20.1-kilometre metro-rail in the capital is expected to be completed by 2019.
"The metro rail will have 16 stations. It will begin from Uttara Sector 3 and end at Bangladesh Bank," he said.
The over-ground metro runs through Uttara third phase-Uttara Centre-Pallabi, Mirpur 10-Kazipara-Rokeya Sarani-Khamarbari-Farmgate-Karwanbazar-Shahbagh-TSC-Doel Chattar-Topkhana Road-Bangladesh Bank intersection route.
Anyone who travels on metro rail without ticket will be fined ten times of ticket value. For failing to pay fines one has to suffer six months' imprisonment.
He said that Dhaka Mass Transport Company Limited (DMTCL) will operate the metro service. Dhaka Mass Transport Authority (DTCA) will regulate the DMTCL.
The cabinet secretary said the proposed law on metro rail gave a legal framework to the overall activities that include its operations, control and regulations.
The estimated cost of the project is Tk 220 billion.
Resolving the perennial traffic congestion and shortage of public transport is the prime objective of the mega-project.
Of the project cost, the government will provide Tk 54 billion while Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will fund Tk 165 billion.
About progress on the project, Mr Bhuiyan said, "The metro-rail design is at the final stages. Various surveys are being conducted in this regard."
He said the metro rail will be able to transport 60 thousand passengers per hour. A special provision is being enforced to acquire land for this project.
Both the government and private companies need to get licences for operating the metro.
He said public companies will not be required to pay any licence fee. The licences will be issued by a committee. And this committee will determine the fares.
The cabinet also approved the draft 'Public-Private Partnership Act 2014' and the draft 'Financial Reporting Act 2014'.
It also approved the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation (Electricity) and the SAARC Regional Railway Agreement for member-countries.
The cabinet was also apprised about the Industries Minister's participation in the Fourth Biennial World Investment Forum 2014 of UNCTAD October 13-16 in Geneva and participation of the Foreign Minister in Culture of Peace meeting in New York on September 9-10.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
