Crores of taka were spent on installing traffic lights to control vehicle movement in Chittagong city. The traffic lights installed 14 years ago became ineffective within two to three years. Since then, vehicles have been moving in the port city at the behest of the traffic police.
It is still going on like that. However, the Chittagong City Corporation wants to change this situation. The Chittagong City Corporation is planning to introduce ‘smart traffic signals’ to make the city’s traffic system technology-based. For this, the organization is going to take up a project, which may cost 450 to 500 crore taka.
The potential project has been named ‘Traffic Management Development Project under the Chittagong City Corporation’. A meeting is scheduled to be held at the City Corporation on Monday regarding this project. The consulting firm will present the initial information and data of the project at that meeting.
An analysis of project documents obtained from the city corporation shows that smart traffic signals are planned to be installed at 53 locations in the city and monitored from a central command center. The entire system will include cameras, pedestrian detection devices, signal controllers, software platforms and traffic data analysis systems.
It would be good to implement the smart signal system. However, there are doubts about how effective it will be in this city. Because, here, different types of vehicles ply on the same road at different speeds. Again, there is no lane or traffic management here. Therefore, implementing the smart signal project alone without eliminating these mismanagements will not yield much benefit.
Engineer Subhash Barua, Vice President of the Planned Chittagong Forum and Transportation Expert
Currently, when traffic congestion increases in the city, police sometimes let cars go in one direction, sometimes in the other. This system provides temporary control during busy times, but there is no automated system for intersection-based congestion, vehicle queues, pedestrian crossings, or emergency vehicles. The only hope is a hand signal.
The installation of artificial intelligence (AI) cameras at 30 intersections in Dhaka, the country’s capital, has brought benefits in regulating traffic. City Corporation engineers believe that the use of modern technology will benefit Chittagong as well as Dhaka.
Supervising Engineer of the City Corporation, Abu Sadat Mohammad Tayyab, told Prothom Alo that the implementation of the smart traffic signal project may cost Tk 450 to 500 crore. The development project proposal will be finalized within a month. Then it will be sent to the ministry for approval. He said that this project will be implemented in coordination with the city police, BRTS and other related organizations. If the project is implemented, order will return to the roads of Chittagong city.
The Chittagong City Corporation is planning to introduce ‘smart traffic signals’ to make the city’s traffic system technology-based. The organization is going to take up a project for this, which could cost 450 to 500 crore taka.
Smart signals are needed at 53 locations
According to the City Corporation’s potential project information, there are 196 intersections and 32 U-turns in Chittagong city. Of these, 53 locations have been identified as requiring surveillance and assistance through smart traffic signals. These locations will be monitored from a central command center.
The city corporation’s plan includes not only installing traffic lights, but also preparing a preliminary estimate of the road network, types of intersections, traffic-prone areas, locations for installing surveillance cameras, suitable intersections for installing traffic lights, and possible costs. A document also mentions that work is underway to prepare a development project proposal (DPP) for the project.
According to the City Corporation, some intersections in Chittagong city have been given priority for the smart signal project. These include GEC, Gate No. 2, Muradpur, Bahaddarhat, WASA, Lalkhan Bazar, Tiger Pass, Station Road, Kadamtali, Oxygen, AK Khan, Fauzdarhat, City Gate, Agrabad, Badamtali, Barik Building, New Market, Custom House, CEPZ Gate, Halishahar Bazar, Kaptai Road Head, Kalurghat, Chawkbazar, Andarkilla, Jamalkhan, CRB, DC Hill and Kazir Deuri.
How will smart signals work?
The installation of artificial intelligence (AI) cameras at 30 intersections in Dhaka, the country’s capital, has brought benefits in regulating traffic. City Corporation engineers believe that the use of modern technology will benefit Chittagong as well as Dhaka.
City Corporation engineers said that currently, traffic control in the city is mainly manual (traditional method). That is, the traffic police visually decide which direction to let the vehicles pass.
The proposed smart signal system will control signal timing by sensing vehicle pressure, speed, queue length, and pedestrian presence.
A document prepared for the city corporation’s potential project says that the system could use traffic flow cameras, signal controllers, pedestrian detectors, internet traffic data and floating car data. Signal timing will be determined, modified and evaluated based on the analysis of this information.
There will be some kind of system during peak hours (during commuting to and from the office). Then, the green light time can be extended in the direction where the traffic pressure is higher.
There will be another system during off-peak hours. Then, the green light will not be lit unnecessarily on an empty road. The signal will respond when a car comes from any direction.
If someone is still seen on the zebra crossing before the pedestrian crossing time ends, the pedestrian crossing time can be automatically extended.
At low-traffic intersections, the signal will be in two states: ‘hold state’ and ‘response state’. It will wait if a car is not coming, and respond if a car is coming. This system is said to detect cars up to 250 meters with radar and 60 meters with video cameras.
‘Green Wave’ on the main road
The smart signal project calls for the introduction of dynamic green waves on major roads. That is, the signals at successive intersections on the same road will be coordinated in such a way that vehicles passing one intersection will get a green light at the next intersection. This will reduce the number of vehicles stopping repeatedly. It is claimed that this will save time and fuel.
In the reality of Chittagong, this Green Wave system can be used in corridors like CDA Avenue, Sheikh Mujib Road, Port Connecting (PC) Road, Airport Road, Bayezid Bostami Road, Arakan Road, Shah Amanat Bridge Connection Road or Karnaphuli Tunnel Approach Road.
The project document mentions more than 130 kilometers of main roads, including 13 entrances and exits to the city, as important routes.
Fine for disobeying signals
There is a proposal to add a digital system for traffic law enforcement to the smart signal project. It has been said that cameras will be used to detect various violations of traffic laws, including disobeying signals, illegal U-turns, illegal lane changes, excessive speed, driving on the wrong side of the road, illegal parking, and encroaching on bus lanes.
The fine process states that if a driver violates a road law or signal, the information will be sent to the BRTA server. After the fine is approved through the police headquarters system, an SMS (short message) with proof will be sent to the vehicle owner.
Regarding the planned introduction of smart traffic signals, Vice President of the Chittagong Forum and transport expert Engineer Subhash Barua told Prothom Alo, “It would be good if the smart signal system could be implemented. However, there are doubts about how effective it will be in this city. Because here, different types of vehicles ply on the same road at different speeds. Again, there is no lane or traffic management here. Therefore, implementing the smart signal project alone without eliminating these mismanagements will not yield much benefit.”
