Due to the shortage of single-journey metro rail tickets, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) has issued new cards.
The design of the new card is different from the permanent MRT cards, and it is believed that this will help prevent passengers from carrying the card away with them.
The new card was introduced at stations starting from November 3.
According to DMTCL sources, the card will be issued in phases.
A total of 20,000 cards have been brought in November, with another 20,000 expected next month.
These cards are being imported via air mail from Japan.
Previously, the design of the single-journey ticket was identical to the MRT card.
To differentiate the two, a small black box with the label "Single Ticket" was added to the top-right corner of the card, while the rest of the design remained unchanged.
DMTCL sources explain that the reason for the new design is that, since there was not much difference between the two cards, many passengers had been carrying the single-journey card as if it were a permanent MRT card. This made it difficult to distinguish the two. With the new design, it will be easier to identify passengers who take the card away without returning it, which will reduce the likelihood of the cards getting lost.
However, the new design has sparked mixed reactions on social media and beyond.
Some people appreciate the new design, calling it attractive, while others express disappointment that the old card's images of national monuments, such as the National Memorial, Shaheed Minar, National Parliament, and the national flower, the water lily, have been completely removed. Some suggest these symbols could have been retained in a different form, as they represent the country's liberation and sovereignty.
Many have pointed out the differences between the two cards on social media.
Some have questioned how effective the new design will be in preventing passengers from taking the cards. They argue that since the new card is visually appealing, passengers may still be tempted to keep it as a souvenir. Many passengers have suggested exploring alternative methods, such as cheaper ticket options or other systems to avoid the issue.
Some have recommended following the example of India's metro system by introducing paper slips or plastic coin tokens instead of costly cards.
A passenger at Dhaka University Station, Swad Mohammad, said: "The new card looks nice. We need to ensure people don't take it with them."
Another passenger, Rumana Islam, said: "I don't have any complain about the design. It's simple yet beautiful."
Earlier, on October 14, DMTCL Managing Director Mohammad Abdur Rouf announced at a press conference that 268,441 single-journey tickets had been issued at the stations. Of these, nearly 200,000 cards had been lost, and 6,881 cards had become unusable due to damage. As a result, there has been a shortage of tickets at the stations.
It is believed that passengers have been taking the cards with them in various ways.
During that announcement, he requested that passengers return these cards to the stations.