The interim government’s pilot project to address Dhaka’s crippling traffic congestion by introducing locally developed traffic signals at key intersections remains stalled due to bureaucratic hurdles, four months after its approval.

The plan, which includes installing traffic signals at 22 strategic points stretching from High Court to Abdullahpur, aims to replace the city’s obsolete and non-functional systems.

However, the pilot phase, initially set to begin last year, has been delayed, raising questions about the government's ability to address the capital's worsening traffic chaos.

The signals are being developed by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). The planned locations for these installations stretch from the High Court intersection near Shikkha Bhaban to Abdullahpur via Farmgate and Mohakhali.

Initially, the signals will be piloted at four intersections – Intercontinental, Banglamotor, Sonargaon, and Farmgate.

If successful, the project will expand to cover all 22 intersections. The pilot phase will be monitored for six months to evaluate its effectiveness before a broader rollout. 

Delays in implementation

The project is led by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), with BUET serving as consultants, the city corporation as the implementing authority, and law enforcement responsible for enforcement. 

Md Hadiuzzaman, a transport expert and professor at BUET, told the Daily Sun, “Delays in field implementation are due to the Public Procurement Rules (PPR). Being a government project, it must comply with numerous regulations. Within the next 10 days, we will finalise intersection designs, following which budgets will be set, and tenders issued. We expect the pilot project to commence within one to one-and-a-half months.” 

He added, “However, traffic signals are not a cure-all. Certain preconditions must be met for them to function effectively. If those are addressed, the system will work.” 

How will the system work?

The pilot project will utilise locally-manufactured controllers and lights. A police box-like structure at each intersection will house a control tower operated by two personnel. The system can function both automatically and manually, allowing operators to adjust traffic flow as needed. 

The estimated cost of each intersection, including controllers and lights, ranges from Tk12-14 lakh. Civil works costs have yet to be finalised. 

Past initiatives and current challenges

Dhaka currently has 110 traffic signal installations, none of which are operational. Over the past 19 years, several initiatives were undertaken by police and city corporations to implement automatic traffic management, costing approximately Tk70 crore. 

In 2012-23, under the World Bank-funded Clean Air and Sustainable Environment (CASE) project, signal lights were installed at 29 intersections at a cost of Tk112 crore.

Additionally, in 2016, DTCA undertook another initiative to install an automatic traffic system at four intersections.

Initially budgeted at Tk37 crore, costs escalated to Tk52 crore, but none of these systems proved effective. Consequently, traffic police continue to manage vehicles manually across the city.