DMP to launch semi-automatic traffic signals at 120 intersections in Dhaka

To control traffic congestion and increase the use of technology in traffic management, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has planned to launch semi-automatic traffic signals at 120 important intersections in Dhaka city within the next six months. Currently, this system is in place at 12 intersections, and the traffic division expects this number to exceed 60 within the next month.

Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) of DMP Anisur Rahman shared this information in an interview with the state news agency BSS on Tuesday (July 21). He said the capital's traffic management is being made increasingly technology-dependent. Alongside semi-automatic traffic signals, there are also plans to use modern technology in the future, including Global Positioning System (GPS)-based surveillance.

Anisur Rahman said that while the DMP traffic division currently has about 4,100 personnel, due to leave, training and other reasons, an average of 3,600 to 3,700 members are deployed at 668 traffic points in the capital each day. Of these, about 25 points require round-the-clock duty in three shifts, while most other points operate on two shifts.

He said that with limited manpower, road diversions and engineering changes have been introduced at 75 locations in the capital over the past year. Initiatives have been taken to reduce congestion by introducing new diversions or changing traffic flow patterns at different points. These changes have not created major new congestion anywhere; rather, positive results have been observed on the ground.

Giving an example, he said that the four-way intersection adjacent to Asad Gate at the western end of Manik Mia Avenue used to experience frequent congestion. Later, direct movement was stopped there, and a U-turn arrangement was made a short distance away after turning left. This has kept the left lane operational at all times and reduced the number of personnel needed to manage traffic at that intersection. Similar changes have also been made at Basila, Kakoli in Banani, ECB Square in Mirpur and under the Kalshi Flyover, he said.

Anisur Rahman said Dhaka is a densely populated metropolis. Permanently solving the traffic congestion problem is not possible simply by increasing traffic personnel. Analysing road design and traffic patterns and bringing scientific changes to diversions and road management is the effective solution.

He further said that while the traffic division has sufficient data on which areas face more congestion and when, and deploys personnel accordingly, traffic control cannot rely solely on manual methods in the long run. Technology-dependent management will therefore be the sustainable solution to the capital's traffic congestion problem.