A move to upgrade the signal system in the city's four busy intersections has become unsuccessful as different government agencies damaged the existing underground cables and poles with cameras.
Except for the Gulshan-1 intersection, the progresses made under the Dhaka integrated traffic management project (DITMP) to install automated traffic systems were either damaged or misplaced, sources said.
While implementing their respective development work at Paltan, Phulbaria and Mohakhali intersections, they said, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Dhaka WASA and Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) have damaged the cables.
"The DNCC even removed the poles with cameras on the top and dumped those at its godown," according to a source.
The issue came to the surface when the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) took a fresh move to complete the project by purchasing the server, which was stolen from the godown in 2019.
The Planning Commission approved a special revision of the development project proposal of the JICA-funded project in March 2021.
In September 2017, the DTCA took the move to introduce the ITS-based digital traffic signal system at Paltan, Phulbaria, Mohakhali and Gulshan-1 intersections under the Tk 520.8 million project.
It was planned to introduce the digital system at the city's 20 other busy intersections after the successful implementation of the pilot project, which was supposed to be completed in November 2019.
However, from the beginning, the work faced problems due to lack of coordination with other agencies, including DMTCL, which is carrying out the metro rail construction work at Paltan crossing.
According to official records, the ITS equipment such as ultrasonic vehicle detector, vehicle image detector, CCTV, etc. have been installed to count the volume of traffic and control the signals automatically.
After the installation, Dhaka Metropolitan Police was supposed to take over the control of the signals to connect with its control room.
Official sources said the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges early this month held a meeting with all the concerned agencies and asked them to fix the underground cables and wires through a survey by a joint technical team before January 31, 2022.
However, they said, there is no such initiative taken by any quarter so far.
Project Director Mohammad Rabiul Alam told the FE that due to deterioration of the coronavirus situation, there is no progress about the meeting instruction.
