Dhaka city is rolling out 22 new traffic signals in a renewed attempt to bring order to its notoriously chaotic roads. But a pressing question hangs in the air – will commuters and drivers finally follow the rules?
In the past, traffic signals in Dhaka often served as little more than decorative poles. Red lights were routinely ignored – treated as cues to speed up rather than stop – while rickshaws zigzagged through intersections and traffic police frequently overrode the signals to manually direct vehicles.
Despite repeated efforts and over Tk150 crore spent since 2001, Dhaka’s traffic has remained largely manually managed, with functioning signals limited to areas like Gulshan-1, Gulshan-2, and the Cantonment.
Now, the interim government is trying again – this time with a semi-automatic system designed and supervised by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet).
4 key intersections go first
Under the initiative, signal lights have been installed at four key intersections: Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Banglamotor, and the InterContinental Hotel. These locations will serve as a pilot, and if successful, the project will expand to 18 more intersections.
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is handling installation at 14 locations, while Dhaka South is managing eight. The new system combines manual control with automation, allowing on-duty traffic officers to override signals depending on real-time road conditions.
Designed with local input
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Assistant Engineer (Traffic Circle) Md Rasel Hossain told The Business Standard, “We are working under Buet’s recommendation. The system will support both automatic and manual operations based on traffic pressure.”
DNCC Chief Engineer Brig Gen Md Moin Uddin added, “Our work is being done in coordination with the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority. Signal installations at two intersections in the north are nearly complete. We hope to begin trial operations this week.”
He noted that the project uses local technology, moving away from costly foreign systems. “City dwellers and drivers must cooperate for this initiative to succeed. Without their support, no system can function effectively.”
‘Signals alone won’t solve it’
Traffic expert and Buet Prof Shamsul Haque, however, warned that signal systems alone cannot fix Dhaka’s traffic problems.
“It’s not about how the signals operate – it’s about whether traffic near the signals moves in an orderly manner. In a city where rickshaws, buses, and carts all share the same roads, even the most advanced technology won’t be enough,” he said.
Citing successful examples, he pointed to the Dhaka Cantonment and Gulshan areas, where signal lights work effectively due to regulated bus operations and dedicated lanes for rickshaws and pedestrians.
“To fix Dhaka’s traffic, lane discipline must be enforced, and local buses must operate in a structured manner,” he said.
“If a green light is on but a bus turns and blocks the road, the signal system becomes pointless. We can install the best systems, but without cleaning up the roads – removing encroachments and creating designated lanes – nothing will change.”
Mir Muhammad Kamrul Hasan, a traffic engineer at the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority, said the project will initially focus on one major corridor – from the Bangladesh Secretariat to Abdullahpur.
“If we see positive results in four pilot locations, we’ll expand the system to 22 intersections along this corridor,” he told TBS.
But scepticism remains on the streets. At Farmgate, a private car driver said, “Even if the signals work, if rickshaws and buses don’t follow them, how can we drive during the green light? We’ve seen signals before, and none of them worked.”
For now, the lights are back. Whether drivers, pedestrians, and vehicles will follow them this time is the real test – and possibly a crucial step toward restoring discipline on Dhaka’s roads.
