Metro rail recorded its highest-ever daily ridership on Monday, transporting 3.82 lakh passengers, the Daily Star reported, citing the authorities.
This surpassed the previous record of 3.81 lakh passengers set on January 23 this year.
Mohammad Abdur Rouf, managing director of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL), disclosed the figures today during a views exchange with the members of Reporters for Rail and Road, a platform of reporters covering transport and infrastructure issues, at DMTCL's headquarters in Uttara's Diabari.
The media cited the MD as saying that the metro rail carries around 3.5 lakh passengers daily on average, with ridership steadily increasing.
They carried 3,82,088 passengers yesterday which is the highest ever for a single day.
Earlier on January 23, this year, they transported 3,81,055 passengers, he added.
To accommodate the surge in commuters during Bishwa Ijtema, the authorities have deployed six additional trains.
He also said that DMTCL earned Tk 243.9 crore from ticket sales in the 2023-24 fiscal year, alongside revenue from advertisement space rentals and other sources, though he did not disclose the exact earnings from non-ticket sources.
Regarding operational costs, he said that some expenses are covered by the ongoing Mass Rapid Transit Line-6 project, while DMTCL bears the rest. However, he did not provide an exact figure.
A DMTCL official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the metro rail's electricity bill alone amounts to Tk 6 crore per month.
Bd-Pratidin English/ AM
