On any other Thursday in Dhaka, it would typically take at least two hours on the road to travel from the capital's Uttara to Motijheel, the capital's business district.

Those days seem to be over now.

As the Agargaon - Motijheel section of MRT Line 6 opened to the public last week, commuters can now travel from the city's northern part (a distance of around 21 kilometres) to the south within just 32 minutes.

This seems too good to be true in a city that currently holds the title of "World's Slowest City" (as per the US National Bureau of Economic Research) with an average motor vehicle speed of 4.5 kilometres per hour (according to the Accident Research Institute, BUET), less than the average walking speed that is imperative to maintaining good cardiovascular health.

MRT Line 6 can be seen as the country's first ever public transport, as our idea of public transit was limited to the privately-owned "state-of-the-art" buses that ply on the capital's streets. Buses where the mere acts of sitting and standing comfortably is an impossible challenge.

In a capital city where a fire incident in one single building out of hundreds and thousands can result in gridlock spanning the whole metropolitan area, Dhaka Metro Rail brings a sigh of relief for people like Shaheenur Rahman, a resident of Uttara Sector 18 who works at a multinational company in Motijheel.

"On weekdays, I had to wake up at around 6 in the morning to get ready and leave for my office by 7:30 am. On some days, I might reach the office by 9:15, but on most days, I wouldn't be anywhere near the office by that time," said Shaheenur, referring to the unpredictability of Dhaka's streets.

"I have been leaving for my office at around 8:00 am and arriving at my destination at about 8:45 am every day for the past week (since the inauguration of Agargaon-Motijheel section)," he said, adding, "It was unthinkable even a week before."

The opening of Dhaka Metro Rail has been particularly very exciting for me. Partly because of my fascination towards public transit and partly because of the challenges we, the residents of Dhaka, had to endure during the construction phase of MRT Line 6.

To justify enduring the construction-induced traffic nightmares of the past 4-5 years, I've taken the metro nearly a dozen times since the launch of the initial phase of MRT Line 6 from Uttara to Agargaon last year.

And during those voyages, I also have had the opportunity to talk to people from almost all walks of life. Some of them even came from around the country to experience what often is hailed as the best form of transportation to ever exist.

I met Showkat Hossain, a rod trader based in Mymensingh, who came with 4 of his family members including his wife, children and his mother, who is in her late 70s.

"I saw everyone going to see Dhaka Metro Rail on TV and social media. I usually come to Dhaka at least twice a month for business purposes. So I just thought let's take them (pointing to his family) as well. I thought it might be a unique experience for the kids," Showkat explained as he gave up his seat for another person in his late 60s who was struggling to keep up with sudden inertia like the rest of us every time the metro leaves the station.

"I think it was worth it. They enjoyed the ride. I am happy that I could bring my mother as well, thanks to the elevators." Showkat said in response when I asked if the trip was worth it.

It is worth noting that Dhaka Metro Rail has gone and beyond in terms of ensuring access to senior citizens, pregnant women, children and persons with disabilities, something I never imagined possible in a city, which believes every family owning a car by 2041 would be a right vision to have.

From wheelchair-friendly elevators with lower control panels, lower height ticketing booths, spacious auto fare collection gates to voice instructions, braille instructions, the architects behind MRT Line 6 thought of almost everything.

Apart from how fast MRTs can take us to our destinations and how accessible it is for us, one of the most crucial aspects of public transit systems is its fare rates.

Much like the absence of accessibility features, fare rates almost always affect people disproportionately.

While most of the commuters I've spoken to have shared a positive sentiment regarding the fare rates set by the Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) authorities, nearly all of them acknowledged that the rates could potentially be lower than they are at present.

Shaheenur Rahman, who owns a car, believes that commuting to work by metro would significantly reduce his monthly transportation expenses.

"It costs me Tk 200 a day for my round-trip commute to work if I take the metro, which totals to Tk 4,400 per month, a much lower expense compared to what I used to spend on my car," said the banker.

Shaheenur, however, acknowledged that this might not be the case for the majority of the residents of Dhaka.

While some individuals acknowledge that the fare rates could be lower than they are currently, they believe that the duration of the commute, the overall convenience the Dhaka Metro Rail offers somewhat justifies the current rates.

The minimum rate to avail Dhaka Metro Rail service has been set at Tk 20, which will apply to a passenger who takes the train to go to the next station on the route.

After that, passengers will be charged Tk 5 per kilometer. This means that if they travel from the network's northernmost point in Uttara to the current southernmost point, Motijheel (with future expansion up to Kamalapur in a few years), the journey would cost them Tk 100.

For many, the metro rail has provided a solution to the unpredictability of Dhaka's streets.

"The best part is the frequency. I didn't have to wait much. In the case of buses, sometimes I have to wait way too long and there is no way to know whether I will get a bus in 3 mins or 30 mins," said Noor, a Dhaka resident in his late 20s.

It's not a news flash that Dhaka's "unique" transit system has long been unwelcoming to its female commuters.

Amidst the chaos of unique phrases, like "Mohila Uithen na (No women!)" during the rush hours, women, who constitute nearly half of the workforce that drives the city and the country forward, have consistently been left behind.

For many of those female commuters, Dhaka Metro Rail has come as a breath of fresh air.

"I personally liked the fact there's now an entire compartment dedicated for women. Although this might not be enough during the rush hour given the number of women commuters in the city, it's an amazing initiative," said Nabila Binte Wahab, a university student who has to commute alone everyday.

"I feel safe while commuting," she added.

This sense of security was also echoed by Mashraba, a woman in her late 20s who works at an advertising agency in Mirpur.

"So far, I am feeling very good using the metro rail service," said Mashraba.

She urged the authorities to maintain the quality of service in future.

Metro rail services currently operate from Uttara to Motijheel from 7:10 am to 11:30 am. All but four stations (Bijoy Sarani, Karwan Bazar, Shahbag and Dhaka University) are currently operational.

The DMTCL authorities plan to expand the service schedule in the upcoming months.

With the "soft-opening" of the entire route of MRT Line 6, Dhaka Metro Rail has seen an uptick in the number of commuters -- signifying a tilt in people's preference towards metro rail, arguably the best forms of transportation the world can offer.