Staff Reporter:
The much-hyped rapid transport service, popularly known as metro-rail, started operating from Ut-tara to Motijheel via Agargaon till 8.40pm from yesterday, bringing a huge relief of city commut-ers.
The dwellers of the capital city, where nightmare traffic congestion is a common phenomenon, are now able to enjoy an advanced, fast and safe transport till night.
On Thursday, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), in an official notification an-nounced that the most effective and modern commuter for city dwellers will operate on Uttara-Motijheel route from 7:10 am to 8:40 pm from Saturday.
Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd MAN Siddique said that the first train will leave Uttara for Motijheel at 7:10am and it will continue until 8:30pm, while the last train will leave Motijheel at 8:40pm.
Earlier, the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-6 was operated from 7:30 am to 11:30 am on Uttara-Motijheel section, while it is being run from 7:10 am to 8:00 pm on Uttara-Agargaon section.
“We are very much excited as we can enjoy the metro service till night from yesterday. Earlier, I needed nearly 2 to 3 hours to reach my destination in the afternoon. Yesterday, I will be in Uttara from Motijheel area in just half an hour,” Nafis Uddin, a private service holder residing in Uttara, told this correspondent.
He said he used metro-rail while going to office in Motijheel but during his return journey he had to travel by bus as the metro-operations from Agargaon to Motijheel section remained stopped af-ter 11.30am.
Nafis Uddin said it is like dreams come true for them as they got the opportunity to have such an advanced and environment friendly safe transport.
Biplab Mallik, a resident of Shewrapara area and an employee of a private office at Karwan Bazar area where he has to attend his work in the afternoon shift, said earlier they had to take bus to reach his office but now he will be able to use metro-rail while going office and returning home.
Shamima Hossain, a student of Dhaka University and a resident of Tejgaon are, said due to safety issues, she used to attend her classes at the university by rickshaw or CNG-run auto rickshaw.
“But it is very costly. Metro-rail offers a new hope as now we will be able to reach the destitution within just 5-6 minutes which was beyond our imagination once,” she said.
It needs only 32 minutes to reach Motijheel from Uttara North station with current 10-minute in-terval and stoppages at all stations which include Uttara North, Uttara Centre, Uttara South, Palla-bi, Mirpur 11, Mirpur 10, Kazipara, Shewrapara, Agargaon, Bijoy Sharani, Farmgate, Karwan Ba-zar, Shahbagh, Dhaka University, Bangladesh Secretariat and Motijheel.
On November 4, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the second phase of the metro rail’s Agargaon to Motijheel part with stopover in three stations-Farmgate, Bangladesh Secretariat and Motijheel. Later, all stations have been inaugurated in phases.
MAN Siddique said currently 1.30 lakh to 1.50 lakh people are using the metro rail service daily, which is much higher than the estimation.
Country’s first metro rail service was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 28, 2022 and went for commercial operation on the next day.
