For tens of thousands of people, Dhaka City's iconic infrastructure as well as service is the metro rail. In the context of long tailbacks on the city's roads and streets, the service metro rail renders is refreshing and this is despite the occasional irregularities caused by technical malfunctions. In a megacity like Dhaka where movement of vehicles is hardly speedier than normal walking, the time taken to commute from Uttara to Motijheel or between stations is many times shorter than commute by any other vehicle on streets. But only recently have the general public become aware that not everything is fine with the metro rail's system. The killing of a pedestrian near the Farmgate metro station following the fall of a bearing pad on him brings the safety issue to the fore. If bearing pads weighing 140-150 kg are set in between the pillar and viaduct to control a train's movement and absorb shock and vibration can slip from its position, it indeed is a cause for serious concern.

This leads to public apprehension that all is not well with the iconic system. Now reports carried in the media confirm their apprehension. There are defects and lapses galore. According to one report, the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), responsible for operating the metro, has identified as many as 45 flaws and shortcomings in the system. Although, some officials of the DMTCL have assured that those problems are unlikely to cause major accidents, passengers are unlikely to be convinced, particularly after the fall of the bearing pads. Notably, another bearing pad also came off from the Farmgate segment about six months ago. That the DMTCL prepared and sent a report, informing the contractor and consultants of the various faults and discrepancies in May last, it was not made public. A similar intimation was given to them in September, seeking redress to the various problems or inadequate performances. A few of the problems were half-heartedly taken care of but there was no lasting solution.

Involved here is a technical issue. The defect liability periods (DLPs) ---varying from one party to another but not exceeding one to two years---for most of the parties are now over. So the liable parties are not legally bound to respond to the DMTCL's call for repair and readjustment. Why did the DMTCL not initiate inspection of the safety systems either on its own or by a third party much earlier? A comprehensive inspection should have been carried out to find the various problems before the handover for operation of metro rail.

Experts voice their concern that the commissioning of the metro rail without readying the required human resources is to blame for certain lapses in the system. The contractors have also taken advantage of the rush in commissioning by supplying some lower quality parts or instruments which have already been rusting. If displacement of bearing pads can occur and force suspension of metro rail operation, problems like rusting can as well cause disruption. A rusted instrument can also come off and end up causing a mishap. Before the problems become further complicated, it is wise to negotiate a deal on the safety issues with various parties involved with the project.