3,857 people took metro on the first day

A total of 3,857 passengers journeyed on the metro yesterday, the first day the country's metro rail service was opened to public.

The metro rail completed 50 trips, 25 each from both the Agargaon and Uttara ends, between 8:00am and noon, MAN Siddique, managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd, responsible for operating metro rails, told The Daily Star.

Of the passengers, 3,756 used a single-journey pass, 99 used multiple-use MRT pass and two used the rapid pass for the service, he added.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday inaugurated the metro rail service.

The metro rail authorities earned at least Tk 2,74,980 by selling tickets yesterday. A total of Tk 2,25,360 was earned through selling 3,756 single journey passes. It also earned Tk 49,500 by selling 99 MRT passes and Tk 120 as fare from two passengers who used Rapid Pass, which is mainly used for availing bus service named Dhakar Chaka.

Besides, DMTCL authorities may have earned some extra money through other ways such as realising fines. Even though various online news portals reported incidents of fining passengers, MAN Siddique said none of the passengers were fined yesterday.