Kazipara station reopens today
The metro rail authority is going to reopen the Kazipara station today with special arrangements, two months after the suspension of the operation of the station.
However, the Mirpur-10 station is to remain closed, and the authority could not give any possible date to reopen it.
In another development, the authority will start the operation of metro rail on Fridays from today to meet the passengers' demand.
Mohammad Abdur Rouf, managing director of the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL), gave the announcement at a press conference at DMTCL's headquarters yesterday.
Unidentified people went on a rampage at Mirpur-10 and Kazipara metro stations on July 19 amid the student movement for quota reform, which later turned into a people's uprising and ousted the Sheikh Hasina-led government.
The then Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader had said the reopening of metro stations is not possible within even a year.
Following the ouster of the AL government, metro rail operations resumed on August 25, but the two stations remained closed.
Abdur Rouf said they have prepared the Kazipara station by bringing some equipment from Mirpur-10 station and DMTCL training centre, alongside using some local equipment.
He said the original glass used at the station was brought from abroad, but they have now used local glass.
The MD said they had to spend Tk 20.5 lakh, apart from the equipment they brought from another station and training centre.
METRO RAIL TO OPERATE EVERY DAY
Abdur Rouf also said they will operate metro rail on Fridays from today, meaning the service will be available every day from now.
He said the train will be operated from 3:30pm to 9:00pm on Fridays from Uttara end and 3:50pm to 9:40pm from Motijheel end.
The trains will be operated at 12-minute intervals, he said.
PROBE BODY FORMED
A seven-member committee has been formed to investigate the 11-hour suspension of metro rail services on the Agargaon-Motijheel section on Wednesday.
Md Abdul Baquee Miah, director (planning and development) of DMTCL, will head the committee.
The probe body has been asked to submit its report within five working days, the MD said.
The displacement of a bearing pad on a pier near Farmgate Station resulted in disruption of metro rail service on the Agargaon-Motijheel section.
Although the service remained functional from Uttara to Agargaon, it remained off limits for passengers on Agargaon to Uttara section from 9:40am to 8:25pm, causing severe public suffering.
METRO RAIL PROJECTS UNDER REVIEW
The Road Transport and Bridges Ministry is now reviewing all the ongoing and pipeline metro projects to assess whether additional money is being spent or not, Abdur Rouf said.
He, however, said they have not asked them to stop the activities of the ongoing projects.
DMTCL is currently implementing three projects -- MRT Line-1, MRT Line-5 (northern route), and extension of MRT Line-6.
Three more projects -- MRT Line-5 (southern route), MRT Line-4, and MRT Line-2 -- are now at preparatory level.
The previous Awami League government prepared a time-bound plan to build a 140km metro rail network comprising six lines in and around Dhaka city by 2030.
Comments