Metro rail to launch at Dec-end

The government is putting the final touches to the metro rail inauguration in the last week of the month with the Agargaon-to- Uttara route to be open to the public in the first phase, reports bdnews24.com.
Officials said the cars will power through the track at 100kph to traverse 11.73 km stretch from Uttara to Agargaon, punctuated by nine stations, in only 20 mins. It will be reduced to 16-17 minutes when the system operates in full swing.
Speaking at a programme on Monday, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd Managing Director MAN Siddique said a proposal was sent to the Prime Minister's Office asking her to inaugurate the programme at her convenience at the end of the month.
"We are waiting, the date might arrive any day. We will let you know as soon we get it. We're preparing by keeping the fourth week in mind and are already 80-90 percent done with the opening programme."
State-owned company DMTCL is in charge of making the Japan-financed project a reality. The initial budget of Tk 219.85 billion for the Uttara-Motijheel project was overrun and was later revised to about Tk 334.72 billion after expanding it to Kamalapur.
The physical work started at Diabari Metro Rail Depot in Uttara and continued amid the pandemic with health restrictions.
The government has fixed Tk 20 as the minimum fare, which means if passengers take it to go to the next station, they have to pay as much.
After that, per kilometre fare will be Tk 5, which means if passengers ride the metro rail, officially known as Mass Rapid Transit-6, or MRT, from its northernmost point in Uttara to the southernmost point, Kamalapur, the journey would cost them at least Tk 100.
DMTCL officials said tickets would be available after announcing the time for the inauguration. Initially, the station counters will issue MRT passes which can be recharged. Tickets for particular destinations can also be purchased from ticketing machines or counters for single trips.
Later passengers will be able to recharge MRT passes by using mobile banking services.
Siddique said the passengers would have to get used to remaining on the platform for longer than actually travelling on the metro rail as it was done globally.