Metro ticket design change made in interest of passengers: DMTCL

The single-journey metro ticket design has recently transformed. Images of historic landmarks such as the National Martyrs' Memorial, the Central Shaheed Minar, and the National Parliament House have been replaced with a symbolic image of the metro train itself.

This change has sparked significant reactions among the general public and netizens on social media.

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), the authority responsible for operating the metro rail, explained that the design alteration aims to reduce confusion among passengers, as both the single-journey ticket and the MRT pass previously featured the same design, which often led to misunderstandings and related issues.

In a bid for smooth passenger management, this design change in single-journey tickets has been introduced. DMTCL believes that the distinct designs will help passengers differentiate between the two types of cards, reducing the likelihood of passengers unintentionally using the wrong one.

In a clarification post on its verified Facebook page on Monday, November 11, DMTCL stated that a total of 313,000 single-journey tickets and 825,500 MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) passes had been issued. MRT pass holders exit the station by tapping the card on a machine, whereas single-journey ticket holders must deposit their tickets at the exit.

However, since both cards shared the same design, confusion often arose, leading single-journey ticket holders to mistakenly follow MRT pass holders by tapping their tickets instead of depositing them. This would trigger an alarm at the exit gate, causing temporary disruptions and lengthy queues.

Since the metro began operations, over 200,000 single-journey tickets have reportedly gone missing, further complicating the situation. The identical designs made it challenging for on-duty staff to intercept passengers who left with their tickets instead of depositing them.

DMTCL claims that the design change process began during the previous government’s tenure, with the design finalized and supply orders issued at that time.

The agency pointed out that the shortage caused by the missing tickets necessitated this change, and a decision to redesign the ticket was made at the end of last year. On January 1, a letter was sent to the consulting agency to arrange the procurement of 400,000 new tickets. On July 28, the new design was communicated to the contractor through the consultant, and by November 1, the contractor had delivered 20,000 single-journey tickets in the new design.

These new single-journey tickets, procured during the interim government period, are now being distributed to passengers.

However, many metro passengers remain unconvinced by these explanations. Speaking to Views Bangladesh on November 11 at Karwan Bazar Metro Station, Sajibur Rahman, a passenger headed to Mirpur, stated, “It doesn’t make sense to exclude images of historic sites like the National Martyrs' Memorial, the Central Shaheed Minar, and the National Parliament from something as national as the metro.”

Another passenger, Moshiur Rahman, added, “Even if the previous government changed the design, this government should have reassessed it. The interim government is discarding many things from the past government, so why keep their ticket design?”

DMTCL responded that, before this redesign, it had already experimented with changing the color of 50,000 tickets to distinguish between the two types, but this proved ineffective. Consequently, the design change became necessary.

Metro authorities are optimistic that this redesign will finally resolve the confusion regarding the single-journey ticket.