Metro rail is expected to trigger a paradigm shift in commute

While Dhaka City's traffic system has earned the notoriety of becoming highly taxing and the slowest in the world, the inhabitants of the city pin their hope on the metro rail already in operation between Uttara and Agargaon to leave behind the nightmare of commute. Yes, a segment of the expressway from Dhaka airport to Farmgate has also been opened but its exclusivity has not allowed it to be anywhere near a mass commuting route. In a way it has rather made movement of vehicles at the release point more cumbersome. People dub it an expressway for the affluent and privileged who have their own cars.

The metro rail is operating half way but all set to run up to Motijheel, the commercial hub of the city, from November 4. Already trains have started trial running and if the date is not deferred once again like it happened on three occasions previously, a large number of people can suddenly discover themselves in a commute system literally upgraded by light years. This is, moreover, in terms of ease of journey, speed and comfort. When it happens, it will also cover on its way the central administrative seat, secretariat that is. In the initial segment of its route, all the stations in between Uttara North and Agargaon are in operation but this will not happen immediately for the second segment when trains start running up to Motijheel. On its way a train will touch only two stations at Farmgate and Segunbagicha, just opposite to the secretariat.

For the uninitiated, it will take time to be accustomed to the entire process of entering the stations, standing in queue for tickets and learning ticket collection from the auto booking machine and then hurry up to the upper floor where trains arrive and depart. One taken aback by the system, however, can collect ticket manually from a ticket booth. Also there are members of the metro staff including the police who guide and help all the way. Then there is an announcement system in the trains proper in addition to screens on which the most necessary messages continue to appear.

The system is as modern and helpful as possible. So far, no report of fumbling passengers meeting with any accident has been reported from the Agargaon-Uttara segment. Hopefully, in case of safe commute between Agargaon and Motijheel the record will not get tarnished at all. As people become used to travelling on such modern trains, their ease of movement will be complemented by their language too. Kolkata people have shortened the name of metro rail to just metro for convenience and Kolkata metro is the written form for the intra-city rail with underground, at-grade and elevated stations.

On that count, it is only a matter of time when it will be just metro in popular parlance and Dhaka metro in its written form. The metro here is quite different because there is no underground and at-grade stations except elevated tracks and stations. Surely, it has its advantage but in future when its network gets expanded, there is every likelihood of adding those two types in the interest of cost cutting and convenience.

However, reports on the two other metro rail lines in the pipeline are not quite encouraging. There are some physical challenges but more importantly, fund shortage may be the main stumbling block. However, if the funding agency of Japan comes forward, there is every chance the financial challenge will not pose an insurmountable problem for the projects. There was a hint, the two other projects may take five to six years for materialisation. Although that is not a long way off, the ground reality of the traffic below the overhead facilities is giving commuters a nightmarish time on a regular basis.

By the time, however, it would be a celebratory time with the opening of the Agargaon-Motijheel segment of the metro rail. Those living at a considerable distance from the metro rail route and unable to take advantage of the facility will definitely feel envious of people who will be able to regularly commute by the metro. Life will change radically for the beneficiaries by a sudden pull. However, there are people, house owners in particular, who may take an undue advantage by suddenly raising house rent. After all, more people will try to live close to the metro stations so that they can commute better and add speed, comfort and even longevity to their lives. Essentially, the commuters are expected to be more productive in their workplaces than before.