Signal lights will soon be introduced at four points in Dhaka to facilitate pedestrian crossings, according to Md Sarwar, additional police commissioner (Traffic) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
On Thursday, after visiting a pilot project site for safe pedestrian crossings under the Dhaka Road Traffic Safety Project (DRSP) initiative, he said that with support from the DMP and the city corporation, signal light systems will gradually be installed at all zebra crossings in Dhaka.
Although the project has been launched experimentally with funding from Jica, it will later be made permanent, said Md Sarwar.
“We have started implementing signal light systems for pedestrian crossings. The pilot phase, which began on Sunday, will run until May 8. If we can manage the necessary resources, we plan to launch similar projects in many other areas as well,” he added.
Highlighting the features of the project, the police official said: “If 200 vehicles typically pass through a road in one minute, and one or two pedestrians attempt to cross while vehicles are moving, it disrupts the flow of traffic. Like in other developed countries, we will make pedestrians wait on the pavement for a few seconds or minutes. When the pedestrian signal light turns on, vehicle movement will stop, allowing pedestrians to cross safely within a designated time. After that, vehicles will resume moving.
"This will help fulfil the objectives of our road safety project in Dhaka—pedestrians will be protected from accidents, and vehicle movement will continue uninterrupted. Vehicles will be able to maintain the correct speed and timing, and pedestrians, although they may have to wait a bit, will be able to cross the road safely. We urge the residents of Dhaka to follow these signal lights.”
In response to a question, he said that multiple agencies are working to implement the project, with efforts underway to install signal lights across Dhaka.
"The two city corporations, in collaboration with Buet, are already installing signal lights at 22 intersections in the city. These systems will include signals for both vehicle traffic and pedestrian movement. The four points where signal lights will be introduced first are Farmgate, Sonargaon Crossing, Banglamotor, and Sheraton Crossing," he added.
