Need to synchronise city's traffic signals
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Shahiduzzaman Khan
It is a total mess on the city streets now-a-days. Commuters are enduring extraordinarily long traffic congestions as a result of Dhaka City Corporation's (DCC) overnight decision to switch from manual to automated traffic signalling. The frustrating driving conditions have worsened because of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's (DMP) failure to synchronise signal durations.
In a synchronised signal system, according to reports, a commuter who gets a green signal at, for example, Shahbagh will pass through green lights at subsequent intersections, including those at Sheraton point, Sonargaon circle, Farmgate etc. But this is not happening in reality. As such, lack of synchronisation is causing traffic to come to a grinding halt during rush hours at every inter-section.
It is a bizarre scenario. Everybody is now questioning the wisdom of DCC and DMP in going for a sudden switch to the automated system.
Reports say the DCC has digital signals at 59 points, installed under the World Bank-funded Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) in 2004. The automated signalling system had then been in use for a few days after its installation, but it soon dropped out of use as it had started malfunctioning at many points. When the system was relaunched this time, it again started malfunctioning. What is the reason this time? The DMP claimed that the city corporation had set the timing for the signals wrongly, which caused long queues of vehicles at every road crossing. DCC officials, however, maintained that they were responsible for the monitoring of the signal light switches and the traffic wing of the police had set the timing. In the melee of such blame-game, the real reason of malfunctioning is hard to discover.
However, a transport analyst blamed lack of coordination between the DCC and the DMP for the failure of the new automated system. Before its introduction, both the agencies should first have discussed the issue as a good number of digital signals are out of order. Then they should go for a trial run of the system at some selected intersections. The DCC had set green light for 120 seconds in major crossing which could not control vehicular traffic during the peak office hours. As such, the DMP was compelled to shut the system as the flow of vehicles turned unmanageable on the first day of launching the automated system this week.
Indeed, such an automated signalling system is not the whole answer to, what seems to be, Dhaka's insurmountable traffic woes. Tangible improvements can be made if authorities establish proper system for traffic and parking management. Besides, public perception about traffic police is also responsible for the city's chaotic traffic management. People frequently point their fingers to the members of the traffic police who are blamed for failing to enforce lane markings and the illegal occupation of available road space.
An automated signalling system can, in no way, solve Dhaka's nagging traffic woes if the existing width and coverage of roads remain the same. Through wide publicity in media, people have to be made aware of the new system and slapped penalties for not obliging. Speed or close circuit cameras at many vital points of the intersections can easily spot violators of the traffic rules. If all the drivers and vehicle-users have national identification (ID) cards, it will not be difficult to spot them if close circuit cameras at every intersection works. Some close circuit cameras were reportedly installed at some points but more should be in place to make the system work.
An automated system is not expected to change the traffic management overnight. The authorities must be given time to make the system functional through corrections. The main responsibility of the traffic police should be to check that the vehicle drivers follow the rules strictly. They should refrain themselves from making manual signalling. They need to stand still and watch that whether any vehicle breaks the rule or not.
Any city should have 25 per cent of its total area as roads and highways. But in Dhaka city, it is only 8.0 per cent. Besides, the population limit that the city can support is 3.0 million. But now, Dhaka's population has already exceeded 150 million. Under such circumstances how can one expect a road without traffic congestion? Such problems cannot be solved so soon because it is the result of long negligence and short-sightedness of policy makers. The gridlock is sure to disappear once the required 25 per cent roads could be made. Wide roads are also not even the best for this unruly traffic as there is no traffic discipline anywhere in the city. What is required for the city is a proper cross road network -- wider foot paths, foot overbridge at every 200 yards on main roads etc., to lessen traffic congestion to a substantial extent.
Automated traffic light signals will not work unless and until these are synchronised with the volume of traffic passing through the different roads at different times of the day and the night. This means the duration of red light and green light at a particular traffic intersection will have to vary through the day and the night. The DMP needs to have this important data with them and set the timing of the automated lights after their meticulous calculation. Without this, introduction (or reintroduction) of automated traffic signals is hardly expected to produce the desired result. szkhan@thefinancialexpress-bd.com
It is a total mess on the city streets now-a-days. Commuters are enduring extraordinarily long traffic congestions as a result of Dhaka City Corporation's (DCC) overnight decision to switch from manual to automated traffic signalling. The frustrating driving conditions have worsened because of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's (DMP) failure to synchronise signal durations.
In a synchronised signal system, according to reports, a commuter who gets a green signal at, for example, Shahbagh will pass through green lights at subsequent intersections, including those at Sheraton point, Sonargaon circle, Farmgate etc. But this is not happening in reality. As such, lack of synchronisation is causing traffic to come to a grinding halt during rush hours at every inter-section.
It is a bizarre scenario. Everybody is now questioning the wisdom of DCC and DMP in going for a sudden switch to the automated system.
Reports say the DCC has digital signals at 59 points, installed under the World Bank-funded Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) in 2004. The automated signalling system had then been in use for a few days after its installation, but it soon dropped out of use as it had started malfunctioning at many points. When the system was relaunched this time, it again started malfunctioning. What is the reason this time? The DMP claimed that the city corporation had set the timing for the signals wrongly, which caused long queues of vehicles at every road crossing. DCC officials, however, maintained that they were responsible for the monitoring of the signal light switches and the traffic wing of the police had set the timing. In the melee of such blame-game, the real reason of malfunctioning is hard to discover.
However, a transport analyst blamed lack of coordination between the DCC and the DMP for the failure of the new automated system. Before its introduction, both the agencies should first have discussed the issue as a good number of digital signals are out of order. Then they should go for a trial run of the system at some selected intersections. The DCC had set green light for 120 seconds in major crossing which could not control vehicular traffic during the peak office hours. As such, the DMP was compelled to shut the system as the flow of vehicles turned unmanageable on the first day of launching the automated system this week.
Indeed, such an automated signalling system is not the whole answer to, what seems to be, Dhaka's insurmountable traffic woes. Tangible improvements can be made if authorities establish proper system for traffic and parking management. Besides, public perception about traffic police is also responsible for the city's chaotic traffic management. People frequently point their fingers to the members of the traffic police who are blamed for failing to enforce lane markings and the illegal occupation of available road space.
An automated signalling system can, in no way, solve Dhaka's nagging traffic woes if the existing width and coverage of roads remain the same. Through wide publicity in media, people have to be made aware of the new system and slapped penalties for not obliging. Speed or close circuit cameras at many vital points of the intersections can easily spot violators of the traffic rules. If all the drivers and vehicle-users have national identification (ID) cards, it will not be difficult to spot them if close circuit cameras at every intersection works. Some close circuit cameras were reportedly installed at some points but more should be in place to make the system work.
An automated system is not expected to change the traffic management overnight. The authorities must be given time to make the system functional through corrections. The main responsibility of the traffic police should be to check that the vehicle drivers follow the rules strictly. They should refrain themselves from making manual signalling. They need to stand still and watch that whether any vehicle breaks the rule or not.
Any city should have 25 per cent of its total area as roads and highways. But in Dhaka city, it is only 8.0 per cent. Besides, the population limit that the city can support is 3.0 million. But now, Dhaka's population has already exceeded 150 million. Under such circumstances how can one expect a road without traffic congestion? Such problems cannot be solved so soon because it is the result of long negligence and short-sightedness of policy makers. The gridlock is sure to disappear once the required 25 per cent roads could be made. Wide roads are also not even the best for this unruly traffic as there is no traffic discipline anywhere in the city. What is required for the city is a proper cross road network -- wider foot paths, foot overbridge at every 200 yards on main roads etc., to lessen traffic congestion to a substantial extent.
Automated traffic light signals will not work unless and until these are synchronised with the volume of traffic passing through the different roads at different times of the day and the night. This means the duration of red light and green light at a particular traffic intersection will have to vary through the day and the night. The DMP needs to have this important data with them and set the timing of the automated lights after their meticulous calculation. Without this, introduction (or reintroduction) of automated traffic signals is hardly expected to produce the desired result. szkhan@thefinancialexpress-bd.com