DHAKA: When Dhaka authorities combined traffic cameras with artificial intelligence, their goal was to thwart Bangladesh’s capital’s notorious road traffic violations. Two months later, police have announced that the pilot system has not only accomplished that, but also cleared blockages at some of the city’s busiest intersections.
Dhaka’s chronic traffic congestion, chaotic driving and fatal traffic accidents have sparked mass protests and challenges to successive governments for decades.
Despite many attempts to address the problem, the city of more than 22 million people still relies on traffic police officers who often have to stop vehicles with ropes or their own bodies when lights turn red.
But since April, the situation appears to have improved as Dhaka police linked traffic cameras with AI software designed to automatically detect violations.
“Our software is completely in-house and can now detect five types of violations: running red lights, obstructing the left lane, driving on the wrong side of the road, stopping in undesignated areas and picking up and dropping off passengers at random locations,” Anisur Rahman, Additional Police Commissioner for Traffic at Dhaka Metropolitan Police Department, told Arab News.
“So far, we have only spent about $50,000 implementing this AI traffic system. Half of this amount was spent developing the software, and the rest was used to build server storage and purchase cameras.”
As part of the pilot program, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras were installed at seven major intersections. When a crime is detected, a digital case file is created using the footage as evidence. Notices will then be sent directly to the registered owner via SMS and post, but not automatically yet.
“We are aware that there are times when drivers may be unfairly blamed by AI systems when facilitating the movement of pedestrians or autorickshaws. Such cases may occur because our road engineering is not designed with future AI systems in mind,” Rahman said.
“As such, we are manually processing case filings and drivers facing charges will still have access to the review process.”
In addition to its punitive role, this program also helps control the flow of vehicles to alleviate traffic congestion.
Dhaka is widely known as one of the world’s most traffic-congested cities, but it is also the “slowest” city, according to a 2023 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research. AI is helping change this by analyzing the pressure from each direction at traffic lights.
“The average speed of vehicles in 2024 was 4.2km/h. After implementing this AI system, the average speed has increased significantly, as can be seen with the naked eye,” Rahman said.
“This system is a semi-automatic traffic signal system, not fully automatic. You can switch to manual mode and adjust the timing up or down as needed.”
Police have installed 60 camera systems across the city this year alone, and plan to double that number next year, which police say is enough to put the entire city under a new traffic management system.
The main positive results observed so far are in the mindset of drivers.
Traffic lights, crosswalks, and road signs used to receive little attention from drivers, but now they are starting to receive attention.
“Earlier, people tended to violate traffic lights whenever they had an opportunity or if there were no traffic police nearby…But now the situation has changed dramatically,” Rahman said.
“Our AI system has successfully changed the way drivers think on the road. People are more cautious and now think twice or thrice before running a red light or violating a traffic rule.”
Drivers admit they are more cautious because they know they are constantly being watched.
Abul Bashar, a professional driver, said he and many other drivers were used to “freestyle driving,” ignoring traffic lights and designated lanes.
“Since the installation of AI cameras, drivers have become more cautious about following the rules, as AI tools record vehicle movements and can lead to lawsuits without informing us,” he told Arab News.
“Previously, we sometimes had the opportunity to negotiate with traffic police officers on the street. With this new system, things have changed.”
Others see the positive side of more orderly traffic.
For rideshare driver Karimul Maula, Dhaka’s traffic jams were a nightmare that often affected his income.
“If a 10km ride takes two hours, you end up making less money,” he says.
“Since we introduced AI cameras at some signal points, we have significantly reduced waiting times at traffic lights. For example, what used to take 4-5 minutes now takes 2-3 minutes. This has improved vehicle maneuverability and shortened ride completion times. So in the end, our bottom line is a little better.”
