The metro rail company has been working to fix fares of the rail service, as the first 11.73-kilometre line of Mass Rapid Transit 6 (MRT-6) is announced to be inaugurated in December next year.
Managing Director of the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) MAN Siddique said consultants had been working on developing fare-setting models, taking into consideration the operational cost, affordability of people and maintenance of the MRT-6.
But the actual rate of fares will be finalised by a special team after evaluation and also depending on the government's decision, he said, while briefing journalists virtually on Tuesday as part of the monthly press conference of DMTCL.
"Time has not come to say minimum or maximum fares of MRT-6 as the consultants have still been working by following different models," he said in reply to a question.
While replying to another question on bearing expenses of the metro rail operations from the fares, Mr Siddique said like other countries in the world, DMTCL had taken a move to introduce non-fare activities, including transit-oriented development, station plaza and station-based commercial activities, to earn revenues.
The MD said metro rail cannot make a profit from fares due to a huge construction cost.
The DMTCL earlier announced that the first phase of 20.1 kilometre MRT-6 would be open to the public in December 2021; however, the timeline had been rescheduled due to slow pace of work following Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Qua-der, while inaugurating the test run of metro rail on viaducts last month, announced that the 11.9 km stretch from Uttara to Agargaon would be open to the public in December 2022.
Mr Siddique said they were working towards the target and expected to meet the deadline with the Covid situation improving.
He, however, said, "We will be able to make an early commissioning of the entire MRT-6."
The head of the state-owned metro rail company said though the MRT-6 would be extended up to the Kamalapur station from Motijheel, cost and time would remain the same.
Answering a question on availability of transport services at Agargaon for metro rail passengers, Mr Siddique said steps had already been taken to introduce the non-stop circular bus service between Agargaon and Farmgate to facilitate metro rail passengers.
He said overall progress of the MRT-6 was recorded at 69.43 per cent, but the progress of the first part, from Uttara to Agargaon, was 88.57 per cent.
Some 67.91 per cent progress was recorded in the second part from Agargaon to Motijheel.
The MD said rail track on viaduct of more than 18 km had been completed, while electric wire above the track on 17 km had already been placed.
