Some passengers happy, some annoyed

Staff Reporter :
With the dawn, hundreds of people from various parts of Dhaka began to swarm the metro rail stations – Uttara Diabari and Agargaon – to board the country’s first elevated locomotive which was ready for passengers on Thursday.
Passengers were seen standing in long queues before the stations for hours to enter the stations to collect tickets and board the train to reach their destinations.
Some 4,000 people rode the metro rail on the very first day while many others could not travel as the initial schedule of metro rail was 8am to 12pm.
Many passengers expressed their joy for getting into the trains, while some others looked disappointed for failing to board, but they said they would come another day for travelling.
As it was the first day of the operation, many people said that they faced various problems in collecting tickets before boarding the train.
Visiting the Agargaon Metro Rail Station, it was seen that hundreds of people before opening the collapsible gates at 8am were standing in a long queue stretching the Agargaon Passport Office.
Some said that they would go to their workplace in Uttara while others said that they would board the train for a joyride.
“I have reached the Agargaon Station before opening the gate. I would go to Uttara to my office. I feel a thrill,” Zahidul Islam said. Another passenger Salma said, “I have come with my family to take a joyride on the first day of the train. This is a new experience for us.”
Some passengers said that they had trouble purchasing tickets from the vending machines as there was a huge pressure on the first day.
When many were standing in the queue, the others were queuing up before the ticket counters and vending machines to collect the tickets.
As soon as the metro train arrived at the station, people beaming with smiles and excitement entered it.
They were seen taking selfies and sharing their experiences on the social media platforms, while others were sharing their feelings over mobile phones.
Those who finished the nearly 12 km journey said that it was a 10-12 minute journey, while others said it took them more than one hours to collect tickets on the first day.
The same situation was found at the Uttara (Diabari) Metro Rail Station where hundreds of people queued for boarding the metro rail.
Samiul Islam, a passenger who reached Diabari from Agargaon said, “It took some 10 minutes to reach Uttara, but it took me more than one hour collecting ticket. By the way, it will gradually be normal when full operation will begin and people will get used to it.”
Some said that they could not travel as the operation timetable was short from 8am to 12pm. But they would come the next day to ride the train.
“I came to the Diabari Station from Tongi at 11:30am and found a long queue. Before entering the station, the service was closed. I will come tomorrow,” Mahmudul Hasan, an inhabitant of Tongi said.
Assistant Engineer Arifur Rahman at Uttara Station said, “It is taking some time to make people accustomed with the new process. As a result the process of issuing tickets is being delayed. It will be normal gradually.”
Meanwhile, in the Secretariat on Thursday, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said that there had been some problems on the first day of the Metro Rail Operation, but it should not be seen critically as people will get used to it gradually.
In reply to a query that people faced trouble from the automated ticket machines as the servers could not take excessive pressure, he said, “Don’t take it so critically. It is new in Bangladesh. The machine may have some trouble during operation. But it will be normal gradually.”
However, people said that Metro Rail service has made their journey easy, but they also said that the fare should be a little bit lower so that fixed income people can travel easily.
Earlier, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Metro Rail at Uttara North Station. Over 200 other government high-ups and a cross-section of people also joined her on the maiden operation of Metro Rail.
The government took the initiative to start the construction of the MRT Line-6 (Agargaon-Uttara route) in 2016 to cut the nagging traffic congestion on the roads of the busiest city Dhaka.