Govt takes major initiatives to overhaul Dhaka traffic management

The government has taken a comprehensive initiative to reform and modernize the traffic management system in a bid to reduce nagging traffic congestion in the capital.

The decisions in this regard were taken at a special meeting titled “Reducing Traffic Congestion in Dhaka City and Modernizing Traffic Management” held at the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Division office in the Bangladesh Secretariat on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman presided over the meeting, said Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman.

During the meeting, he said, the Prime Minister gave some directives to take quick and effective measures to address traffic congestion and emphasised building a modern and time-appropriate traffic system.

At the meeting, several important decisions were taken to address the city traffic congestion and modernize the traffic system.

Key decisions

• Traffic signals will be automated using local technology while 120 signals in the capital city will be gradually brought under the automation.
• New bypass roads around Dhaka and overpasses and underpasses inside the city will be constructed.
• Unauthorized bus counters within the city will be removed. Five inter-district bus terminals will be relocated outside the city and these bus terminals will be converted for city service use.
• Roadsides will be freed from illegal occupation, and electric poles in the middle of roads will be removed.
• At railway crossings inside the city, automated signal lighting systems will be introduced alongside manual systems.
• City buses will be brought under a GPS tracking system.
• Most foot overbridges will be equipped with escalators, while bridges near hospitals will have locally developed elevators.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Road Transport and Bridges, Railways and Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam, State Minister for Railways Habibur Rashid Habib, labour leader Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, MP, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator M Abdus Salam, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan, Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) Chairman Engr Md Reazul Islam, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) Chairman Abdul Latif Mollah and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir were present at the meeting, among others.

Participants in the meeting expressed optimism that if short-term plans are implemented, traffic congestion could significantly ease by the end of April.

They also noted that medium- and long-term plans would bring substantial improvements.

The administrators of Dhaka north and south city corporations expressed hope that most of the proposed plans could be implemented by 7 April.

To ensure smooth implementation of the plans, labour leader Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas will coordinate with the transport owners’ and labourers’ organizations.