Metro to be more frequent in peak hours

The metro rail authorities will reduce train intervals during peak hours from tomorrow to provide services to the growing number of passengers.

They will operate trains every eight minutes during peak hours and every 10-12 minutes during off-peak hours, MAN Siddique, managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL), told reporters at his Eskaton office yesterday.

Trains now run every 10 minutes during peak hours and every 12 minutes during off-peak hours, according to the DMTCL.

According to the new timings, metro trains from Uttara to Motijheel would be operated every 10 minutes from 7:10am to 7:30am, every eight minutes from 7:31am to 11:48am, every 12 minutes from 11:49am to 3:12pm, and every eight minutes from 3:13pm to 8:00pm.

Trains from Motijheel to Uttara will be available every 10 minutes from 7:30am to 8:00am, every eight minutes from 8:00am to 12:08pm, every 12 minutes from 12:09pm to 3:50pm, and every eight minutes from 3:51pm to 8:40pm, MAN Siddique said, adding that they would change the timings during Ramadan.

He said the metro makes 152 trips daily and it will be 178 from tomorrow.

The metro now transports around 2.70 lakh passengers daily, he said adding that 1,750 to 1,775 passengers are now being carried by each train during peak hours and the number is around 1,500 during off-peak hours.

MAN Siddique said they operate 10 trains and one is kept on standby during peak hours.

Seven trains run during off-peak hours and one is on standby.

Replying to a query, he said they started taking action against those flying kites along the rail lines.

A kite landing on the lines suspended metro service for an hour on Wednesday.

He added that they handed over two people to police and six children to their parents for Wednesday’s “offence”.

In reply to another question, the DMTCL MD said they were yet to get any formal proposal from the National Bureau of Revenue about the imposition of VAT on metro tickets.

He, however, said if the VAT is imposed, fares will go up.