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Metro rail running without safety, technical certificates


Published : 06 Sep 2024 09:55 PM | Updated : 09 Sep 2024 06:52 PM

The metro rail, which has become popular among the commuters in the congested capital city of Dhaka, is running without safety and technical certificates, sources at Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) said. 

Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL) has been operating metro rail for over one year and a half without safety and technical certificates though there is a provision for it.

About 2.75 lakh people travel on metro rail every day on an average and the commuters have got some respite from the nagging traffic congestion in the capital. 

A senior DTCA official told the Bangladesh Post that they wrote to the DMTCL several times to ensure having safety and technical certificates along with insurance coverage, but they did pay heed to the matter.

As per Rule-24 of Metro Rail Rules 2016, the DMTCL is required to apply to the DTCA for approval of metro rail construction plan. But the DMTCL did not took approval from the DTCA for the construction of MRT Line-6 from Uttara North Station to Motijheel Station. 

According to Metro Rail Act-2015 and Metro Rail Rules-2016, the DTCA is the coordinator of metro rail services while the DMTCL is the operator of the metro rail. 

One of the major responsibilities of the DTCA is to monitor the quality of metro service and safety management of the metro rail.

The DTCA sources said that the issue of safety and technical certificates has arisen because of top DMTCL officials’ authoritative attitude towards the DTCA and did give a damn to it maintaining a link 

former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Qader of the recent past Awami League government.

The DTCA letters sent to DMTCL reveal that Metro Rail Line-6 is a railway with a sophisticated computerised control system. 

Sub-systems or components of metro rail such as viaduct, electrical system, rolling stock, signaling system, ticket vending machine, passenger gate, fire safety system, lift and escalator works in coordination. 

Taking these aspects into consideration, the DMTCL was required by law to obtain a 'System Safety Certificate'.

As per Rule-27 of Metro Rail Rules-2016, the DMTCL is required to submit safety report to DTCA every three months, but it has not done so till now.

NKDM, a consultancy firm on metro rail management, repeatedly urged the DMTCL officials to issue safety certificate. 

DMTCL was supposed to appoint an independent security agency to issue safety certificate, but that has not been done.

According to a letter, the DMTCL applied to the DTCA for issuance of a safety certificate on March 6, 2022, prior to commencement of commercial operations of metro rail. 

In reply, the DTCA said they cannot issue such certificate as per Metro Rail Act-2015 and Metro Rail Rules-2016.

Later, on recommendation from a committee formed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, the DTCA approved the technical aspects of different sub-systems of MRT Line-6 from Uttara North Station to Agargaon Station. 

But DTCA did not give any system safety certificate to DMTCL.  

A DTCA official said DTCA was forced to conditionally approve the implementation standard on December 21, 2022 for a period of only six months. 

But the DMTCL did not apply for extension of implementation standard. Apart from this, there is a legal obligation to approve the system safety certificate by a third party. 

This correspondent repeatedly tried to contact DMTCL Managing Director MAN Siddique over phone for his comments on the matter, but he could not be reached.

Adviser of Road Transport and Bridges Ministry Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said, “I am now aware about the matter. You can talk to senior secretary of Road Transport and Highways Department Ehsanul Haque in this regard.

Later, this correspondent made attempts to contact Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Department Ehsanul Haque over phone but he did not receive the call.