Metro rail: Passengers to be fined Tk 100 for entering without riding

Metro rail authorities have introduced a new rule under which passengers will be charged Tk 100 if they enter a station by scanning their card but exit without taking a ride.

Previously, passengers could leave within five minutes of entering without being charged any fare. The new rule removes that provision.

The new policy took effect on 20 October, and notices have been put up at all metro stations. A notice regarding the rule was seen at Karwan Bazar Station on Tuesday evening.

When asked about the new rule, an official at the Karwan Bazar station, requesting anonymity, told Prothom Alo that free entry and exit through the same station are no longer allowed. The rule has been in effect since yesterday.

However, Faruk Ahmed, Managing Director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL)—the organisation responsible for operating the Dhaka Metro Rail—told Prothom Alo over the phone that he was not aware of such a rule, though the authorities were currently giving high priority to metro security issues.

The DMTCL notice reads: “For the information of valued passengers: Free entry and exit at the same station are currently closed. If a passenger enters and exits at the same station, a fare of Tk 100 will be deducted. —By order of DMTCL Authority.”

Passengers, however, vented anger and frustration over the decision to deduct Tk 100 even if they do not take a metro ride. A post in the ‘Dhaka Metro Rail Helpline’ Facebook group has so far received over 3,000 reactions.

In their comments, passengers said that the rule is unfair if someone needs to leave the station urgently or suddenly feels unwell. They suggested that if the rule was introduced to prevent fare evasion, the minimum fare could be charged instead, but a flat Tk 100 deduction for everyone is unreasonable.

One commuter, Sajid Hossain (pseudonym), a private-sector employee, told Prothom Alo that around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, he entered the Karwan Bazar Metro Station but had to leave within three to four minutes due to an urgent matter.

He was still charged Tk 100. As his card did not have enough balance at the time, he had to recharge it to pay the deduction. Calling the rule irrational, he demanded its immediate cancellation.