Debit, credit cards planned to be integrated with Rapid Pass

In a major step towards modernising urban mobility, the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) is planning to integrate bank-issued credit and debit cards with the Rapid Pass system.

The move is intended to make metro travel smoother and more convenient, allowing passengers to use their regular bank cards for direct station access.

Officials say the initiative will also support the government's long-term vision of transforming the Rapid Pass into an all-purpose smart card that can be used across transport services and, eventually, for wider financial transactions.

Several banks have already expressed interest in introducing dual-interface features in their plastic cards, raising hopes that universal card acceptance in the metro rail may soon become a reality.

"As the Rapid Pass is planned to become an all-purpose card in the future, this feature will help facilitate that transition," said an official.

He added that banks will purchase Sony Felica chips, currently used in the Rapid Pass, to issue chip-based credit and debit cards, which already include financial chips, if the initiative progresses following meetings to be organised by the DTCA.

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), the metro rail operator, had earlier attempted to introduce universal ticketing through an open tender, but the effort failed to attract sufficient interest from companies.

Officials said several banks like Islami Bank, Sonali Bank, Eastern Bank Limited, One Bank, City Bank and Trust Bank have already expressed interest.

They noted that the initiative would not require any additional investment at metro stations.

"But DTCA wants all banks to adopt the system so that the credit and debit cards they will issue in future can be used seamlessly on the metro rail," said DTCA Executive Director Neelima Akter.

The move is also expected to reduce government expenditure on procuring Rapid Pass cards, which currently requires several million taka to meet rising demand from commuters using the country's first metro line, MRT Line-6.

With five more mass rapid transit lines planned, demand for the card is expected to increase significantly.

DTCA has already sent letters to all 62 public and private banks, inviting them to a meeting on December 10, 2025.

The Rapid Pass was introduced as an all-purpose transport card in 2018, but its usage expanded notably after the launch of the MRT in 2023.

The previous government later announced plans to upgrade the Rapid Pass into an all-purpose card supporting debit and credit functions, e-banking and utility bill payments. To date, 1.3 million cards are in circulation.

Although DTCA launched online recharge facilities for both the Rapid Pass and the metro-specific MRT Pass on November 25, it has not been able to activate other features such as Near Field Communication (NFC).

This is because the second phase of the Clearing House Project was not extended by the interim government.

Officials said online recharge and dual-interface features are being developed using DTCA's own capacity.

However, mobile phone-based ticketing and other advanced features cannot progress without the project, as they require support from software companies.

smunima@yahoo.com