Despite its increasing popularity, the much-anticipated Dhaka Metro Rail is facing early challenges.
While primarily catering to passengers transitioning from public transport, it has encountered technical glitches in train operation and ticketing system, and overcrowding since its launch.
Morning commuters across stations from Uttara North to Motijheel reported delays of several minutes between 9 am and 2 pm on Monday.
Many also complained to The Financial Express about long waits due to train capacity limitations, thanks to the overwhelming passenger rush.
Ticketing issues added to their frustrations, with delays averaging 20 minutes at both ticket machines and counters.
"What is the point of a faster commute if I waste 20 minutes getting tickets and topping up my card?" questioned Muniruzzaman, a retired official.
Meanwhile, buses on the Mirpur-Motijheel route found lower-than-usual passengers even during peak hours.
While admitting a slight dip in ridership, bus conductors like Solaiman of Shikor Paribahan toned down its significance. Rather, they found improvements in regular traffic flow since the metro began operating till 8 pm.
This, they said, has enabled them to complete trips in 1.5 hours instead of the previous 2-3 hours on Motijheel-Mirpur and Gulistan-Mirpur stretches.
Responding to the high demand, the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) extended the operating hours of the Motijheel-Agargaon section of MRT Line 6 to match the Agargaon-Uttara timings, now running from 7:10 am to 8 pm.
The FE talked with over 50 passengers at the Secretariat and Farmgate stations on Monday evening and found heavy passenger pressure at all entry and exit points following train arrivals.
Around 60-65 per cent of riders use the metro for commuting, while the remaining passengers are either recreational users or those with post-office-hours destinations.
At Farmgate station, around 20 female students from Holy Cross School were spotted using the metro to return home after school -- a shift from their previous reliance on buses and rickshaws.
Only four passengers were found taking the metro to reach Motijheel, ditching their previous modes of transport including office vehicles, private cars or rickshaws.
However, there were long queues at both single-journey ticket machines and counters, and passenger congestion was evident at exit points after train arrivals.
At around 4:30 pm on Monday, two passenger gates at the Secretariat station were non-functional and did not accept single-entry tickets. The station controller declined to comment on these issues or the Monday train delays.
However, a source confided that the delays stemmed from a single train starting late in the morning due to technical reasons, subsequently impacting other train operations.
"To compensate, some trains ran at 4-5 minute intervals instead of the scheduled 10-12 minutes during peak and off-peak hours," he told the FE preferring not to be named.
A survey conducted by the Accident Research Institute under Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) on MRT passengers since its partial launch in December 2022 showed only 4 per cent were private car users.
Dr Hadiuzzaman, the institute's head, expects a gradual modal shift in the Mirpur-Motijheel corridor, even if it is not yet at the projected level.
"Previously, people were captive to public transport operators, but the metro has offered a break from that dependence," he told the FE over the phone. "A modal shift has begun and we need to capitalise on it."
Dr Hadiuzzaman urged the authorities to seize this opportunity to overhaul the entire public transport system in light of the new commuting experience offered by the metro.
smunima@yahoo.com