The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) plans to bring the country's highways under a round-the-clock monitoring system following the successful introduction of the intelligent transport system (ITS) on the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga corridor.
Officials said the entire 55-kilometre Dhaka-Mawa expressway is now under extensive ITS coverage, enabling the highway police to track vehicles exceeding speed limits and helping reduce road accidents.
They said CCTV cameras, vehicle detection systems (VDS), variable message signs (VMS) and speed enforcement systems have been installed on the expressway under the ITS framework.
These technologies allow authorities to conduct real-time monitoring, proactive traffic management and improved road safety.
"Since the traffic management centre (TMC) began operations last September, a positive impact on road safety has been clearly visible due to the ITS," said Faijuna Warda of the Roads and Highways Department.
She said the number of vehicles exceeding the speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour on the corridor has declined significantly since the system was introduced.
According to RHD data, the share of overspeeding vehicles dropped from 42 per cent to 25 per cent after the installation of the system.
"Strict monitoring has improved driver behaviour, strengthened enforcement and increased awareness among road users, which has played a significant role in lowering accident risks and enhancing highway safety," the RHD official said.
Overspeeding and risky overtaking are common on the country's national highways due to the lack of effective monitoring and vehicle tracking systems.
The Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga expressway, the country's first expressway, was inaugurated in 2020. Traffic on the route increased significantly after the opening of the Padma Bridge in July 2022.
Police records show that more than 1,300 road accidents were recorded on the corridor between July 2022 and 2025, claiming 183 lives. Most of the accidents were caused by overspeeding.
Data from the RHD's traffic management centre show that 10,786 vehicles were detected crossing the speed limit of 90 kmph in August last year and 15,658 in September.
However, the number fell to 4,857 in October, 4,361 in November, 4,457 in December and 2,188 in January this year, indicating improved compliance with speed regulations.
The RHD introduced the traffic management centre at its headquarters, which operates round the clock with trained operators and representatives from the Highway Police, particularly from the Hashara Highway Police Station.
The intelligent transport system was installed under the project titled "Improving the Reliability and Safety of National Highway Corridors in Bangladesh through the Introduction of ITS," implemented with grant assistance from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The core objective of the initiative is to reduce road accidents, improve traffic discipline and enhance overall operational efficiency by integrating modern technology with the country's highway infrastructure.
"Although monitoring on the Dhaka-Mawa expressway is being carried out under a pilot project, its success will guide the RHD in introducing the system on other highways after learning lessons on system integration, institutional coordination and operational best practices," Ms Warda told The Financial Express at her office.
She said the RHD plans to use the experience gained from the project to develop a national ITS master plan and standards, expand ITS deployment to other national highways, strengthen human resource capacity and move towards a fully integrated intelligent road network across Bangladesh.
smunim@yahoo.com
