Metro rail services, intended to reduce the suffering of people living in traffic-clogged Dhaka, were again disrupted for over an hour on Saturday afternoon.
The services were suspended following a technical glitch that caused an automatic door of the metro rail on the Uttara-Motijheel route not to work.
The glitch was reported at 2:38pm and was resolved at 3:55pm.
According to Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), the automatic door of the train was not receiving signals from the train operator (TO) room.
Additionally, passengers had attempted to keep the door open forcibly. Hence, the signal from the TO room to close the door was ineffective.
The repeated interruption in metro rail services has sparked frustration among passengers. They voiced concerns over the recurring nature of such disruptions.
Kamrunnahar Keya, a passenger on the train, posted a video on social media on Saturday, saying: "I have been stuck in Pallabi for one and a half hours.”
On the other hand, in a popular Facebook group named "Traffic Alert," a passenger shared that they got down from the metro rail after a 40-minute wait caused by the disruption.
In this regard, Nazmul Islam Bhuiyan, public relations officer of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), said metro rail is a new addition to Bangladesh’s transport system.
“It takes time to know how to use anything new. So we have to give it time. The people also have to cooperate with us by following the rules,” he added.
Fourth disruption in a month
Saturday’s incident marks the fourth time in a month that metro rail operations have been temporarily suspended.
On February 14, the metro rail operation was suspended for 40 minutes as a kite fell on the power lines. Police have arrested two people in connection with the incident.
On February 7, two kites and kite strings got stuck in the electrical wires in the section from Pallabi to Shewrapara, disrupting the train schedule.
Again, on February 4, the operation was suspended for two hours due to zero voltage of the Overhead Catenary System (OCS).
Authorities seek police action
The metro rail authorities had requested the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner to take necessary legal steps regarding the incidents on February 14.
In a letter dated February 11, Mohammad Abdur Rauf, the DMTCL company secretary, highlighted the risk of fatal accidents if kites, sky lanterns, or their remnants became entangled in the high-power electric lines of the metro rail.
Urging the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner, Rauf emphasized the importance of public safety. He requested legal measures to prevent the flying or launching kites, lanterns, gas balloons, or similar objects near the metro rail route.
Police arrested two people in connection with February 14’s incident of a kite falling on the metro rail. The two people were arrested for selling and flying kites. A case was later filed under the Companies Act.
At least 7,000 kites were also seized during the raid.