DBBL to operate accounts of one ticket for all transport modes
Munima Sultana | Monday, 27 June 2016
The Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited (DBBL) will maintain and operate accounts as clearing house of Rapid Pass for facilitating one ticket for all kinds of transport.
Sources said the bank has been selected by the Evaluation Committee among four private sector banks short-listed in February for work as clearing house bank.
They said negotiation with the DBBL has been completed and contract signing with the government will be held after getting approval from the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges (MoRTB).
The Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority has been working with technical assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency to introduce IC card system named Rapid Pass in all road, rail and water transports including metro rail in the capital.
According to the DTCA, 700,000 IC cards will be issued within two to three years to passengers for availing bus and launch services under the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) introducing one ticket for all kinds of transport.
The card will be used to pay fares for a certain distance through a device the account of which will be maintained by the clearing house bank.
Though DTCA officials claimed they have made progress in setting up clearing house for Rapid Pass for keeping all records of use and transaction, experts find it still challenging to introduce the system.
BRTC and BIWTC, the two state-owned corporations, had earlier tried to introduce electronic ticket systems in their transport services but could not mainly due to non-cooperation by field level staff.
Officials said the clearing house bank will keep all records of cards and distribution of shares of respective transport operations after getting information in this regard from the DTCA clearing house.
The bank will do the job in exchange of a commission, said an official adding that the lowest commission seeker has been chosen for the job.
The DTCA has taken the move initially for the city's public transports but will gradually expand it to private sector bus services.
They have estimated that more than 1 million IC card will be needed after the metro rail is launched in the capital in 2019.
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