A large quantity of integrity cards (ICs), known as Rapid Pass, have piled up for lack of effective moves to make popular those in public transport when an example of its successful introduction to the first metro rail is set.
Rapid Pass has already been successfully used for the Mass Rapid Transit Line 6 (MRT 6) as cashless transport tickets since the first metro rail operation was launched partially in the city's busiest corridor on December 31, 2022.
Although the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) refused to accept Rapid Pass initially, it finally allowed it to use along with MRT Pass.
However, the two ICs are same and managed through a clearing house set up under the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA).
MRT Pass is only dedicated for metro rail while the Rapid Pass is introduced with the vision to use one ticket for all transport for bringing discipline and checking pilferage and irregularities in the city's multimodal transport systems.
According to the DTCA, it has already imported 120,000 Rapid Pass and another consignment of more than 150,000 will be arrived soon. Earlier it had bought over 100,000 cards. But, the DMTCL bypassing the Rapid Pass introduced the MRT pass buying over 800,000 cards before the launching operation.
Recently, the company also sought permission to buy another 300,000 MRT pass from the DTCA ignoring the government orders of using Rapid Pass.
Talking with various users, the FE found that due to lack of top up facilities and regularity in using the cards in respective buses, passengers gradually lost interest and withdrawn the service.
Recently, the BRTC reintroduced the Rapid Pass in its two routes but alleged that DTCA does not play its due role to offer them after survey different BRTC routes where they can introduce the cards.
"It is the duty of DTCA to study which routes of BRTC are suitable for introduction of Rapid Pass and offer us as the state owned bus operator does not have that mechanism," said an official preferring not to be named.
Rapid Pass was officially launched after the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched in 2018. After the inauguration the BRTC operated a route with the rapid pass for a time being. Although 150 point-of-sales (PoS) machines were distributed among bus operators later on, most of those went inoperative.
Sources said as the PoS machines used to deduct the fare from Rapid Pass, it was not possible to misuse of the fares by the bus operators who are mostly controlled both private and public buses through lease even on daily basis.
Even after the government's order, the card could not be introduced, they added.
However, to make popular the Rapid Pass use in the public transport including in rail, bus and water vessels, sources said availability of recharge points and validators machines are needed to set up in bus stands and all buses.
PoS machines are not suitable for making the card use smooth and comfortable like in the MRT where passenger gates have been set up in all stations for the card users.
Another source also alleged that the DTCA is yet to introduce the special purpose company which is needed to operate and manage the Rapid Pass all kinds of transport through proper planning and study.
The DTCA had taken the move to set up SPO two years ago.
However, DTCA Executive Director Neelima Akhter said the DTCA has been working on reviving the entire process for successful introduction of the ICs in all public transport.
With that mission, she told the FE that Rapid Pass will soon be introduced in Hatirjheel circular bus and water vessels as well as Gulshan and Dhaka Chaka bus services.
But, Hatijheel circular bus service was withdrawn after introduction after 2018 due to damage of the PoS machines and software problems.
A DTCA official said they have been working to reintroduce the PoS machines with its own software for time being admitting that the PoS would not be as smooth as validator machines which are introduced in the MRT station.
The PoS machines releases a copy of the ticket with the help of operators, but the validator machines automatically deduct the fare from the card.
smunima@yahoo.com