Bangladesh (Commonwealth Union)_ Bangladesh inaugurated its first metro rail line recently in the densely populated capital city of Dhaka, signaling the beginning of a new era for the nation’s public transportation industry. The fast transportation system that was funded by Japan was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who became the system’s first passenger. The initial length of the metro line will be roughly 12 kilometers, which will eventually expand to more than 21 kilometers and 17 stations by 2025.
According to the authorities, the train will be available for public transport beginning December 28 at 8 am and will initially operate for four hours each day until March 26, when it will commence full-scale operation. The Bangladeshi government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency have collaborated to create the $3.2-billion project. According to authorities, following the completion of the project, the trains will carry around sixty thousand passengers every hour from both ends of the route. However, experts caution that it would not completely alleviate traffic congestion unless the elevated metro stations are effectively maintained.
According to Shamsul Hoque, a professor at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and a specialist in public transportation, “There is no doubt, those who will use the system will get an excellent transport system”. He added, “But if a bottleneck is created at every station to pick and drop the passengers, traffic congestion will not reduce, but will rather multiply. Therefore, management of the station is important”.
A 2018 World Bank report stated that in recent years, the average driving speed in Dhaka has decreased from 21 kilometers per hour to less than 7 kilometers per hour. Moreover, every day, over 3.2 million working hours are lost due to congestion. According to campaigners, the high prices may further prevent low-income groups from using the metro train service. The government has set Taka 20 as the minimum rate and Taka 5 per kilometer. This amount is double the minimum bus price of Taka 10 and Taka 2.20 per kilometer.
