According to authorities, metro rail beat the previous record of 3.81 lakh passengers created on January 23 of this year with its highest-ever daily ridership of 3.82 lakh passengers yesterday. The data were revealed today at the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd. (DMTCL) headquarters in Diabari, Uttara, by Mohammad Abdur Rouf, managing director, during a discussion with members of Reporters for Rail and Road, a group of reporters covering transportation and infrastructure issues.
According to him, the average daily passenger volume on the metro rail is around 3.5 lakh, and the number of riders is continuously rising. Yesterday, they transported 3,82,088 passengers, the most ever in a single day. He noted that they had carried 3,81,055 passengers earlier on January 23 of this year. Six more trains have been sent out by the government to handle the rise in commuters during Bishwa Ijtema. Although he could not provide the precise earnings from non-ticket sources, he added that DMTCL made Tk 243.9 crore from ticket sales during the 2023–24 fiscal year, in addition to revenue from the rental of advertising space and other sources.
He stated that DMTCL is responsible for the remaining operational expenditures, with the ongoing Mass Rapid Transit Line-6 project covering some of them. He did not, however, give a precise amount. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a DMTCL official stated that the monthly electricity price for the metro rail alone comes to Tk 6 crore.
Source: The Daily Star
