Dhaka metro imposes Tk100 fine for same-station exit. Here's why

Dhaka metro rail authorities have imposed a Tk100 fine on any passenger who scans their card to enter a station but then exits from the same station without travelling to counter "an organised fraud ring" that was exploiting the previous five-minute grace period to travel without paying.

Bite-Sized: Why do Dhaka Metro passengers face a Tk 100 fine for exiting where they entered?

The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) authorities explained that the decision has been made to stop travelling for free, taking advantage of the five-minute window.

A senior DMTCL official, who preferred not to be named, told The Business Standard on Wednesday (23 October): "An organised group had been regularly travelling without paying by using MRT Pass or Rapid Pass cards. They were shrewd and found out a way to trick the system."

"A member of the group would scan the card and enter the platform. Then, the card would be passed to someone else in the group waiting inside. This second person would then scan it to exit the platform.

"The system would record the entry and exit as happening at the same station, and no fare would be deducted if the entry and exit happened within five minutes," said the official.

The first person – the one inside the platform - would board the train without scanning a card, reach the destination, and exit the platform using the card handed over by an accomplice.

This way, some unscrupulous people travelled multiple times daily without paying the fare, the official elaborated.

The new directive, effective since 20 October, would stop this fraudulent practice as a passenger is now being charged Tk100 for entering and exiting from the same station.

"If someone needs to exit after entering a station, they can just inform the staff at the ticket counter, and the matter will be resolved. The rule is intended to stop abuse, not to cause inconvenience to regular passengers," said the official.

Another DMTCL official, requesting anonymity, revealed an additional reason for introducing the new rule: "The contract of the security staff guarding the entry and exit gates has ended. It's very difficult to stop this fraud without the security staff."

However, some passengers have expressed frustration over this decision, saying that ordinary commuters will suffer because of it.

Sharmin Islam, a regular commuter from Shewrapara, said: "A passenger might need to exit the station right after entering it for some kind of emergency. Why should one be penalised for this? There should be clear instructions at the stations on how to handle such situations."