Country's maiden metro rail is set to be inaugurated apparently without certification of standard of operations for lack of expertise in the regulatory authority to certify such a highly technical public-transportation system.
A committee, earlier formed to work on the approval process, recommended for the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) to conduct a third-party audit for ensuring safety and security of the Mass Rapid Transit line 6 (MRT 6), half of which is scheduled to be inaugurated on December 28.
According to section 15 of the Metro Rail Act 2015, the DMTCL is supposed to get approval on all kinds of technical issues of MRT from the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), the regulator.
The technical issues include infrastructure facilities, rolling-stock establishment, operations and maintenance, and safety management.
An expert of the MRT 6 said the safety-certification requirement is kept in the law to facilitate the authority to ensure through conducting necessary inspection and evaluation of all related information that the metro rail is ready for operations.
Though the DMTCL earlier sent specifications of the MRT 6 for DTCA's clearance, sources said, the regulator could not provide necessary certification due to lack of its expertise.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges has formed a 10-member committee comprising government officials and BUET professors to recommend in this regard.
Officials said the committee visited the MRT sites, including stations, and held meetings with the contractors, and finally submitted a report to the DTCA suggesting seven measures, including conducting an audit on the entire system by a third party.
However, DTCA Executive Director Sabiha Parveen said the DTCA is not an authority to certify, but to audit and oversee the legal aspects of the MRT operations.
Relevant documents must be prepared by the DTMCL, she said, adding that due to the first metro rail of its kind in the country, the committee members inspected the documents sent by the DMTCL and reviewed the MRT project areas to work on it.
She also admitted that the DTCA has a lack of expertise as well as manpower to carry out this type of job.
Sources said the committee members in their report placed seven recommendations mainly to ensure safety. They also focused on the overhead electric lines, exit and entry points of passengers, signaling system, integration of the entire system like power failure and voltage fluctuation.
They further pointed out that the DMTCL specifications lack such information.
smunima@yahoo.com