New traffic lights at 22 intersections in Dhaka for Tk 180 million

New traffic signal lights are being installed at 22 intersections under the two city corporations of Dhaka. The installation of these traffic lights, built using local technology, is costing around Tk 180 million (Tk 18 crore). The Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has created these traffic lights.

BUET experts say that the traffic lights are being installed to control the traffic congestion and to bring order on the streets. As a short-term initiative these lights are being installed on a specific traffic corridor in Dhaka. This corridor consists of 14 intersections and points under the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and 8 intersections and points under the Dhaka North City Corporation (DSCC).

BUET professor Moazzem Hossain and Md Hadiuzzaman had a meeting with the chief adviser of interim government Professor Muhammad Yunus on 16 September last year about improving the state of traffic congestion in Dhaka. Quite a few short-term, medium-term and long-term suggestions were presented in that meeting. Later, there was a meeting titled ‘Dhaka City Traffic Management’ at BUET on 16 October last year and the decision to install new traffic lights came from there.

Superintending engineer for DNCC traffic engineering circle, Khondoker Mahbub Alam told Prothom Alo, “Based on the suggestion from high-up in the government, traffic signal lights are being installed with assistance from BUET. Hopefully this method will be useful in reducing traffic congestion in Dhaka city. And, the city residents will benefit from it.”

Initially, the traffic lights are being installed at four intersections with two in each city corporation area. These intersections are Karwan Bazar and Farmgate intersections in Dhaka north and Banglamotor and Hotel InterContinental intersections in Dhaka south.

Of them, the work of installing lights at the Farmgate, Karwan Bazar and InterContinental intersections is nearly complete. In fact the signals are also being used on test basis at Farmegate intersection. There is still some work left on installation at the Banglamotor intersection. These are supposed to be in operation from the middle of May.  

According to BUET information, all the equipment starting from the traffic lights to the controllers are being crafted using local technology out of materials sourced from the local markets. These signals would be operated in the semi-automated system.  

At normal times, the matter of the signal lights going on and off would be controlled in an automated way. Meaning, the green and red lights would light up automatically after a certain period following the time cycle for the vehicles on a certain side of the road to stop or start moving.

However, these signals can also be controlled manually considering the pressure of vehicle on a certain side of the road. Analysing the situation of the traffic congestion, traffic police officers would send directions to the operator in the control room and the operator would send signals by lighting up the red or green lights for the vehicles moving on a certain lane of the road to stop or start moving.

After the traffic lights start operating, the traffic police members will no longer control the vehicles using hand signs. All the vehicles would have to follow the traffic lights. And, the traffic police members will only take legal actions against those breaking the traffic signals.

 A group of engineers from the two city corporations in Dhaka itself has expressed doubts about how much of a benefit the city residents will receive from this project of installing new traffic lights. They say that the method suggested by BUET is fine in terms of cost reduction.

However, the whole project is being carried out somewhat theoretically. The control of the traffic lights works in a relay system (controlling electricity flow in phase), which is completely outdated. So, there is also a high risk of mechanical failures.

Transportation expert and BUET professor Md Hadiuzzaman told Prothom Alo that the traffic lights are not the solution to all problems. There are some prerequisites to these signals being effective. The six-point recommendation, presented before the chief adviser, has to be implemented.   

Professor Md Hadiuzzaman believes, if the agencies implementing the recommendations, the city corporations, and the traffic division of police can prepare the ground according to the recommendations, this signal system will work excellently to eliminate traffic congestion.

The six-point recommendation includes stopping the movement of slow-paced vehicles like rickshaw on main roads, not allowing vehicles to stop or park within 50 to 100 meter radius of intersections, restoring regular police operation back to the way it was before 5 August, not allowing passengers to get on and off vehicles except at designated spots, and forming mobile traffic monitoring squads.

Professor Hadiuzzaman also stated, “Five to six times more vehicles operate in Dhaka compared to the capacity of the roads. Therefore, the public transport system must be established as the backbone by controlling the smaller vehicles. Only then these traffic lights would be able to bring order on the streets and reduce the traffic congestion to a tolerable level.”