THE traffic signals at important and busiest intersections in the capital have now become only fossilised symbols of one of many ineffective traffic management efforts introduced by successive authorities.
The existing traffic signal system in the city was installed around 14 years ago while the traffic police are still controling the traffic manually as the signals remain inoperative due to lack of maintenance and coordination among the departments concerned. Along with signals, other traffic management initiatives including semi-automatic remote controlled traffic signal system, timer countdowns and digital display boards installed at intersections at a huge cost have by now turned into mere showpieces.
Traffic engineering and rights activists observed that formal traffic system would not only reduce traffic congestion but also cut down on corruption. Back in 2005, seventy traffic signals were installed at major intersections of the city at a cost of Tk 13 crore under the World Bank-funded Dhaka Urban Transport Project. In October 2009, the two city corporations in the capital installed timer countdown systems at 70 intersections and 30 new signals in the same year at a cost of Tk 96.71 lakh under WB funded Clean Air and Sustainable Environment Project.
Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury alleged that the authorities concerned were not interested to make traffic system digitalised. If these signals became digitalised then there would be less opportunity for a section of dishonest traffic police to extort money from people, he argued.
Whatever it is; there’s no acceptable reason for the non implementation of new signals as the old ones have become inoperative. One of the main ways to implement smooth traffic flow in Dhaka should be the installation of traffic lights which work instead of having traffic police stationed manually.
In this busy age it is difficult for a traffic official to manually handle the huge volumes of traffic which clog the main intersections of Dhaka city as it is fast becoming a megalopolis. If we want to bring order to our communications functioning digital traffic lights are essential.
