An AI-powered traffic camera system has been launched at Shahbag in Dhaka as part of efforts to modernise the capital’s traffic management and ease congestion.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Administrator Md Abdus Salam inaugurated the system at the Shahbag intersection on Thursday.
Speaking at the inauguration, Salam said traffic congestion is one of the capital’s major problems, costing citizens valuable working hours every day.
“To find a sustainable solution, a technology-driven pilot project has been taken up to make traffic movement more orderly and efficient through fully automated traffic signals,” he said.
Initially, the modern signal system is being introduced at 20 key intersections with technical support from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), he said.
Under the DSCC, the system has already been installed at eight key intersections: Banglamotor, Hotel InterContinental, Minto Road, Kakrail Circle, Matsya Bhaban, Kadam Chattar, Shikkha Bhaban and Shahbagh intersection.
Abdul Salam said the initiative will be expanded to another 50 key intersections across Dhaka in the coming months, with 22 intersections under the DSCC set to receive the system soon.
He stressed the need for strict enforcement of traffic laws and greater public awareness to ensure the system works effectively.
“Once the automated signals are fully operational, traffic police will no longer need to manually control traffic at intersections as they do now,” he said.
He urged drivers and pedestrians to follow traffic laws and signals, avoid illegal parking, and strictly observe traffic signs, road markings, zebra crossings and designated lanes.
He also called for keeping intersections free of obstructions and street vendors.
Abdus Salam expressed hope that successful digitalisation would save valuable working hours for millions of Dhaka residents while reducing the hardship faced by traffic police who work on the roads in extreme heat and rain.
He said strict enforcement of traffic laws would be ensured to sustain the benefits of the new technology and help transform Dhaka into a modern, dynamic and smart city.