Published: April 21, 2025, 04:36 PM
Dhaka’s metro rail commuters are facing growing frustration due to a shortage of Rapid Pass cards, caused by bureaucratic delays and procurement issues. Despite the service’s popularity since its launch in December 2022, passengers are now regularly forced to queue for hours to buy single journey tickets as permanent cards remain scarce.
The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) — which operates the metro — reported that over 400,000 passengers travel daily, with about 60 per cent relying on Rapid Pass and MRT Pass cards. However, the stock of these cards has dwindled, leaving many would-be buyers disappointed.
Sources say the crisis stems from bureaucratic complexities. The Rapid Pass cards, originally intended to be a unified payment system for road, rail, and water transport under the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), have been in short supply as contractors failed to deliver them on time. Prime Power Solution, tasked with supplying 250,000 cards imported from Indonesia, has so far delivered just 118,000.
Commuters like Robiul Alam, who recently failed to secure a card for his wife at Farmgate station, expressed frustration over the situation. Many others voiced similar complaints, highlighting how a multi-billion taka public transport service is being undermined by poor planning and logistical delays.
While DTCA officials have refrained from commenting, Road Transport and Highways Division Senior Secretary Md Ehsanul Haque acknowledged the issue upon inquiry and promised to investigate and resolve the matter.
As the demand for metro rail cards grows — with 1,000 to 1,500 daily requests — the current crisis underscores the importance of efficient coordination and supply management, especially for a service designed to reduce public suffering, not add to it.
