Implement effective traffic lights to ease congestion

There is nothing new to be said about the chaos in Bangladesh’s traffic system. Every attempt to bring discipline into traffic management fails time and again. It is like trying to store water in a leaking pot—water is poured in on one side, only to flow out the other, leaving nothing in the end. In the meantime, the government has taken a fresh initiative to restore order in Dhaka city’s traffic system. With technical support from BUET, traffic lights are being installed at 22 new intersections from the High Court junction to Shahbagh, Bijoy Sarani and the airport. At seven intersections, after installing lights and launching them on a trial basis, faults have already been detected. Reliance is back again on the traditional hand signals.

According to news published yesterday (16 September), on 31 August, a trial of the automatic traffic signal system was launched at seven intersections from Abdullahpur to the High Court. Using domestic technology, red-green-amber light poles were installed at a cost of Tk 18 crore. Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Traffic Division, Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) and the two city corporations of the capital jointly carried out this work. If the trial proves successful, there are plans to extend the automated traffic system to another 15 intersections.

However, an on-the-spot investigation revealed that at all intersections traffic signals are still operating in the old way—by hand signals. To stop vehicles, traffic police still have to stretch out their arms and stand on the road. Drivers show little regard for the red light. No civilised country in the world has such a disorderly and inhuman traffic system. Officials of the concerned institutions said that the government had previously taken several initiatives to implement signal systems in Dhaka, but none had worked. It is against this backdrop that the interim government has taken a new initiative to install signal lights using local technology.

A well-organised urban management system is most clearly reflected in traffic management. The fact that a sense of discipline has not yet developed among Bangladeshis is evident from the traffic system itself. For this, it is not enough merely to establish symbolic traffic management with red and green lights; drivers also need to be properly trained. Without strict enforcement of law, this disorder will continue. Crores of taka will be wasted, but with no result.

Reports indicate that in some places poles have been installed but the lights are not working; in others, the lights are on but drivers are unaware of them. It must therefore be examined why this initiative was taken at all. What is the purpose of spending crores of taka if the system is not effective? It is nothing but waste. Strict law enforcement and driver training are urgently necessary. The responsibility of implementing this initiative lies with the government. Without proper traffic management, passengers’ suffering will not be reduced.