Penalties for breaking metro rail rules: Here's what you need to know

A passenger will be liable to pay a fine that is 10 times the ticket price if they are caught travelling without a pass

The Uttara North metro rail station is equipped with elevator facilities for the elderly and travellers with special needs. asif mahmud ove

Ahead of Bangladesh's entry into a new age of public transportation, the government passed the Metro Rail Act in 2015 to ensure discipline in the sector. The legislation set out punitive measures for unruly users of the urban rail in Dhaka.

• Travelling without a ticket or a valid pass or adopting any other means to evade fares while riding the metro rail will draw a maximum fine that is 10 times the price of the ticket. Perpetrators face up to six months in jail if they fail to pay the fine.

• Any forgery of the metro rail ticket or travel pass will result in a maximum prison term of 10 years or a fine of Tk 10 million, or both.

• Obstructing the metro rail inspector from performing their duties or providing the inspector with false information is a punishable offence. The offender will face a maximum of two years in jail or a Tk 1 million fine, or both.

• Some parts of the train or the station are off-limits to travellers. Trespassing in those areas will be considered an offence. If a trespasser does not leave after being warned by the authorities, they will face punishment. The penalty includes a maximum of one year in jail or Tk 500,000 fine, or both.

• Any person posing an actual or apparent threat to the safety and security of metro rail passengers or the train itself will face a jail term of up to five years or Tk 5 million in fines, or both.

• Repeating an offence will result in the original jail term or fine being doubled.

• The legislation also provides a 10-year jail term and Tk 10 million in fines for handing over any licenses without permission, and Tk 200,000 in fines or two years in jail for any obstruction to the running of the metro rail.

• For any type of obstruction to the construction or maintenance of the metro rail, an offender may face up to one year in jail and a fine of Tk 500,000. Trespassing in a restricted area can also be punished by a one-year jail term or a Tk 500,000 fine. Endangering the safety and security of the metro rail is punishable by five years in jail and a fine of Tk 5 million.

• The legislation allows for the imposition of a maximum fine of Tk 5 million or five-year imprisonment for failing to abide by the technical standards in carrying out construction, maintenance and safety measures for the metro rail system and setting up rolling stock.

COMPENSATION

• The law allows for an insurance payout for people suffering any accident while riding the metro rail. The company running the metro rail must take out insurance for the passengers and trains.

• In any case of an accident, the metro rail authority must raise the compensation claim and collect the compensation from the insurance company and give it to the victim or their family within 90 days.

• The company running the metro rail must arrange compensation from the insurance company if any person, structure or asset is affected by a metro rail accident.