Metrorail's current earnings are not reasonable compared to previous earnings

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has said that it is not reasonable to compare the current income with the initial income of the electric high-speed public transport Metrorail.

Recently, various posts and graphics comparing Metrorail's 18-day earnings with its first six months' earnings have gone viral on social media. On September 22, Company Secretary of DMTCL, Khondkar Ehteshamul Kabir, said that in the beginning passengers started using this kind of service for the first time in Bangladesh and were not used to it. Metrorail was in operation for a short time then. Apart from this, there was a limited distance from Uttara to Agargaon.

He said, Metrorail is now running at full capacity with more passengers. The service has now increased both in time and distance. At present, about 3 lakh passengers use the metro every day, earning an average of over one crore rupees. This amount is increasing gradually.

The comparison caught everyone's attention after DMTCL Managing Director Mohammad Abdur Rauf announced the earnings for the current month (up to September 18) in a press conference on September 19. He said that from September 1 to September 18 of this month, 49 lakh 9 thousand 49 passengers traveled by metro rail. Our income is 20 crore 67 lakh 3 thousand 591 taka.

Earlier, the then Road Transport and Bridges Minister presented the total income of the first six months of Metrorail in Parliament. In a written reply to a question by Awami League member M Abdul Latif in the session of Jatiya Sangsad on March 4, the then Minister of Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader said about the income of Metrorail, according to the final accounts of the financial year 2022-23 audited by the audit firm, the Metrorail from January to June of the financial year 2023-24 The total income was 18 crore 28 lakh 6 thousand 514 taka.

Metrorail was launched for the first time in the country on 28 December 2022. Initially, the Metrorail runs for four hours from Uttara to Agargaon. It was extended to six hours (8am to 2pm) on April 5 of the following year.

Later on November 4, 2023, the section from Agargaon to Motijheel was launched. Then the travel time was increased to 13 and a half hours. Movement time is from 7.10 am to 8.40 am. Currently, Metrorail is running regularly from 7:10 AM to 9:40 PM.

After the introduction of Metrorail up to Motijheel, the ridership increased drastically as important places like Motijheel and Secretariat came under metro train coverage. Along with this, the income of the authority also increases. The fare from Uttara North Station to Agargaon is Tk 60. On the other hand, the fare from Uttara North Station to Secretariat is Tk 90, and Motijheel fare is Tk 100.