Staff Reporter :
A huge crowd of office-goers was noticeable at the Secretariat and Motijheel metrorail stations as Sunday was the first working day.
The metro rail service on the Uttara-Motijheel route started running between 7:10am and 8:00pm from Saturday.
However, only MRT Pass and Rapid Pass holders will be able to get on the two trains that leave Uttara North station at 7:10am and 7:20am.
Similarly, only these pass holders will be able to ride the four metro rails that will leave Motijheel stations for Uttara North in between 8:00pm to 8:40pm.
Metrorails are running every 10 minutes from morning till night so the office goers are taking the opportunities to get relief from huge traffic jam.
Motijheel and Secretariat areas are the hub of various offices and people rush to catch the train hurriedly which created huge crowd in every metro stations.
Passengers were seen standing in lines from the main road and waiting for tickets.
Hundreds of passengers are waiting in several tiers of queues in front of the main ticket counter too.
These scenes were found after visiting Metrorail Motijheel and Secretariat station on Sunday.
Tickets are being given at 8 counters, four each on the east and west sides of Motijheel station. Passengers are fighting a kind of battle to get tickets. They stood in line as soon as office hours ended.
“I have been waiting for almost an hour and still haven’t received the ticket. Hope, I will get it. Trains are leaving every 10 minutes.
For this reason, even if it is difficult to get tickets, but I will wait. No need to spend for hours like in public transport,” Mohsin Ali, a banker told this correspondent on Sunday at Motijheel metrorail station.
The last metro rail will leave Motijheel at 8:40pm. As per the new schedule, weekly closure of the metro rail will be on Friday.
Earlier on Thursday, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited managing director MAN Siddique said that the trains would run in every 10 minutes during peak and in every 12 minutes during off peak hours.
During peak hours, from 7:10am to 11:30am and from 4:01pm to 8:40pm, eight trains will run and one train will be standby and during off peak time – from 11:31am to 4:00pm, seven trains will run and one train will be standby.
Daily around 1.30 lakh to 1.60 lakh passengers are using the service. Passengers holding Single Journey Tickets purchased before 7:45pm on the day of travel are eligible for travel.
