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SONARGAON CROSSING

Electronic traffic signal flops on very first day

Staff Correspondent
Dhaka City Corporation's (DCC) high-profile electronic traffic control system installed at Sonargaon intersection yesterday to ease congestion turned out to be a fiasco, as it created more congestion, forcing
authorities to switch back to manual system.
The city authorities switched to the digital traffic control system at the busy Sonargaon intersection in the morning, only to revert to the manual system an hour later, as it
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worsened the snarl-up because of ill adjustment.
"Within an hour, the entire area became heavily congested, creating miles-long traffic jam in the adjacent areas too. We turned off the digital system and switched back to manual system." said Shamsul Haq, an on-duty traffic policeman at Sonargaon intersection.
"They (DCC) jumped to the automated traffic control system without getting it tested first, " said a traffic police officer, preferring anonymity. The green signal stays on for only a few minutes, allowing only a handful of vehicles to pass.
The DCC put an urgent notice in national dailies notifying vehicle owners and drivers early yesterday that traffic would be controlled by automated traffic signal equipment at the intersection adjacent to Sonargaon Hotel from yesterday.
Some traffic police officers toldThe Daily Star that drivers and vehicle owners termed the attempt to switch to digital system an ill-conceived attempt
"While hundreds of vehicles were on the queue, the green signal flashed red after a few vehicles could pass," Shajahan, a yellow cab owner, toldThe Daily Star.
Abdul Qaiyum. project director of Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) on DCC-supervised works, admitted, "It is tough to control traffic digitally as it needs time to adjust the signal duration
with the flowofvehicles."
Around 10,000 vehicles pass through the intersection an hour during nish hours, nearly twice its capacity of 4,800, according to the DCC. Each vehicle has to waste at least three minutes at the crossing due to traffic congestion, causingTk 7.6 crore a year in fuel waste, Qaiyum added.
He, however, said the digital traffic system would be reintroduced 'very soon’ at the intersection.
DCC officials blamed the roundabout for severe traffic congestion at the intersection and said tilings will not improve until the roundabout is removed.
"The flow of vehicles is obstructed by the roundabout and it takes more time to cross the intersection," an official said.
The DCC was about to bring sixteen intersections under electronic signal system by yesterday to ease the ever-increasing traffic congestion in the capital.
About the delay in digital system installation at other intersections, Qaiyum said. This is not a delay It will take 'some time’ to install all electronic traffic signals in thedtynsitisahugetask?
The DCC Is still working to install digital signals at Dhanmondi-6 and -10, Science Laboratory and Matsya Bhaban intersections, a DCC official said.
"Once the digital system has been put in place, it will take around two more weeks to adjust the signals at Sonargaon intersection with the volume of traffic," he added.