Steps to ease traffic snarls at city intersections

The government has initiated steps to improve management of intersections in Dhaka city aiming to overcome difficulties in handling hundreds of thousands of motorised vehicles that make long queues during busy hours every day.
Under the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) of the Ministry of Communication, the Dhaka Integrated Traffic Management Project (DITMP) was taken to improve the traffic signalling system and intersection operation through real-time traffic counting.
Officials said traffic police pass hectic time every day to manage hundreds of thousands of vehicles at almost all intersections of the city. It has been attributed to the lack of knowledge about the traffic volume and timing of signals to manage case by case during peak and off-peak hours.
The Dhaka City Corporations, both south and north, have also been involved in traffic engineering but could not support the intersections to handle this kind of situation.
"We have signals, even Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at many intersections. But the authorities do not understand what to do when traffic volume increases and goes beyond control," said an official involved with the project.
He said instead of managing the situation manually, the project will help improve the capacity of the authorities handling the situation digitally operating intersections with traffic signals, according to volume and time.
Besides, it will introduce viable message signs giving alert to drivers of traffic congestion if it exists in intersections, the official added.
The DTCA, with the technical assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), launched the project. It would initially cover four intersections in the city on a pilot basis.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and the DCC had earlier taken several measures like introduction of modern signals with more options, timer, CCTV, notice board etc., to improve the traffic situation. Critics said none of these worked or were in use.
A traffic sergeant said most of the initiatives could not be materialised in the busy intersections for various reasons including mismanagement and pressure of transports with varying speed.
"In the Paltan crossing, we cannot maintain timers due to  pressure of slow and fast moving vehicles. Due to frequent political programmes in front of the National Press Club, signals also cannot be followed," said the sergeant at the crossing.
"We want to assist Bangladesh to improve the intersection capacity through intelligent transport system (ITS) as well as the capacity of the DTCA, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and the DCCs to handle heavy volume of traffic with right decision," said Hideo Tsuji, executive chief engineer of Nippon Koei, the Japanese consultant of the DITMP.
Though the project is yet to select the intersections, four possible points have been recommended on both sides of the Mass Rapid Transit line-6 and two intersections in Gulshan area.
Consultants said study on more intersections is also underway on request from the government.
Under the project, the DTCA has already formed a working group comprising members of the DMP and the DCC North and South. The DTCA will work as coordinator.
A joint coordinating committee has also been formed. It will take decisions related to traffic management.