The electric-powered rapid transit system, Metro Rail, has earned nearly 244 crore taka in ticket sales during the 2023-24 fiscal year, marking a significant increase from the 18 crore taka earned in the previous year, 2022-23.
The announcement was made by Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), during a meeting with members of Reporters for Rail and Road (RRR) on Tuesday, February 4, at the metro rail depot in Uttara.
Abdur Rouf revealed that ticket sales for the 2023-24 fiscal year amounted to 243 crore 91 lakh 7 thousand 625 taka, compared to 18 crore 28 lakh 6 thousand 514 taka in 2022-23.
He explained that the first year of operation was experimental, and the service initially only ran up to Agargaon with limited frequency, with as few as 10 trains operating per day. Over time, the service expanded, and last year, the entire line became operational. The number of trains has now increased to 200, up from just 10 previously. Additionally, the metro service is now operational on Fridays, which was not the case earlier.
Abdur Rouf further mentioned that the highest number of passengers to travel on the metro in a single day was 382,000, a significant rise from the 15,000 to 20,000 passengers during the initial phase of the service. The target is to transport 500,000 passengers, and achieving this milestone is expected after reaching the break-even point. He added that reducing the headway between trains could bring this goal within reach sooner, and if the service extends to Tongi, passenger numbers are likely to increase further.
The meeting was attended by various officials from DMTCL, including Nasir Uddin Ahmed, Director of Operations and Maintenance; Mohammad Aftabuzzaman, Director of Finance and Accounts; Mohammad Iftikhar Hossain, General Manager of Operations; as well as the members of Reporters for Rail and Road, including President Anwar Hossain, General Secretary Mohammad Tawhidul Islam, Vice President Partha Sarathi Das, and Executive Member Munima Sultana. Directors of various metro rail lines also participated in the event.
