Buses rule Dhaka roads beyond AI watch

Inter-city buses stop in the middle of busy roads to pick up and drop off passengers as the area remains outside DMP’s publicly identified AI traffic-surveillance points

The absence of operational AI traffic cameras in Dhaka’s Babubazar area has left inter-city buses largely unchecked as they stop in the middle of roads to pick up and drop off passengers, disrupting traffic and creating frequent congestion.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police has gradually expanded its AI-based traffic enforcement network across the capital. As of June 30, AI cameras were operational at 19 major intersections, where the system had helped police file around 1,500 traffic cases. DMP said it was working to bring other important junctions under surveillance.

However, Babubazar has not been named among the operational locations publicly identified by DMP or reported by the media.

Publicly confirmed surveillance points include the Hotel InterContinental intersection in Shahbagh, Banglamotor, Karwan Bazar, Bijoy Sarani, Jahangir Gate, Farmgate and parts of Airport Road.

DMP later brought Lake Road near the Jatiya Sangsad and Zia Udyan areas under the system. Reports on the number of cameras vary because some count individual camera units while others count intersections. DMP initially deployed 25 cameras between Hotel InterContinental and Jahangir Gate.

Another report said footage from 110 cameras-30 newly installed cameras and 80 upgraded cameras-was being analysed using AI technology.

A DMP spokesperson separately said in May that 120 AI-powered cameras had been installed across Dhaka, although only some were operational at key points at the time.

The latest publicly reported DMP figure refers to 19 operational intersections rather than the total number of installed camera units.

The AI system can identify signal violations, wrong-way driving, illegal lane changes, vehicles occupying zebra crossings, illegal parking and unauthorised roadside passenger pick-up and drop-off.

It can capture vehicle number plates and use BRTA records to identify owners before prosecution notices are issued.

Despite the system’s ability to detect buses stopping illegally for passengers, the lack of publicly confirmed AI surveillance in Babubazar means drivers in the area still depend mainly on conventional traffic-police monitoring.

Inter-city buses frequently stop on the carriageway instead of using designated stoppages, narrowing the usable road space and forcing vehicles behind them to slow down or change lanes abruptly. During busy periods, several buses may stop one after another, creating a bottleneck on roads already carrying heavy traffic.

Babubazar serves as an important gateway for vehicles travelling between Old Dhaka, Keraniganj and routes connected to the Dhaka-Mawa corridor. Unregulated bus stoppages in such a busy area can therefore affect traffic far beyond the immediate intersection.

Installing AI cameras in Babubazar, enforcing designated passenger stops and taking action against repeated violations could help restore traffic discipline.

However, cameras alone may not solve the problem unless the authorities also provide proper bus bays, maintain visible road markings and ensure consistent enforcement against transport operators.