To address the ongoing shortage of single-journey metro tickets, 20,000 additional tickets have arrived in Dhaka from India. These tickets will be distributed across metro stations by Tuesday (31 December), as confirmed by Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL).
The shortage of single-journey tickets for the MRT-6 route, operating between Uttara and Motijheel, has persisted for two months.
DMTCL had initially issued 2.68 lakh tickets during the metro rail's inauguration. However, the company reported in October that approximately 2.4 lakh tickets had either been lost or damaged. Lost tickets were taken away by passengers without being returned, while damaged ones had become unusable.
The metro rail offers two types of tickets: the MRT pass, or rapid pass, which allows multiple journeys until the balance is exhausted, and single-journey tickets, which must be purchased for immediate travel and returned upon exiting the destination station.
In response to the crisis, DMTCL initiated the procurement of 4 lakh new tickets, which are jointly supplied by Japan, Thailand, and India. Although Japan is the primary supplier, the cards are printed in India.
The new batch of tickets is expected to mitigate the crisis, with DMTCL expressing optimism for a swift resolution.
DMTCL sources have indicated that the total supply will include 4.4 lakh tickets, accounting for a 10% surplus.
The first batch of 20,000 tickets arrived on 2 November, with the second batch of 20,000 tickets reaching Dhaka on 21 December.
These will soon be distributed to metro stations.
At present, metro stations require a minimum of 40,000 to 50,000 tickets, but only 30,000 are available.
This shortfall has caused significant inconvenience for commuters. Ticket machines at many stations remain empty, while others quickly run out of stock, resulting in increased waiting times and growing queues of passengers.
