AI magic on the streets of Dhaka, will sit on all signals
Photo Collected
9 pm, last Wednesday. Capital’s Karwan Bazar intersection. Four roads meet here. The car is stopped at the mouth of three roads. Only traffic is moving on the road from Banglamotor to Farmgate.
After walking like this for two minutes, the traffic light on the opposite side turned on. The vehicle stopped immediately. Not only did the vehicles stop, the vehicles remained within the ‘stop line’ (the white colored spot where vehicles must first stop).
A few days ago, traffic police members had to run to stop the car at this signal. It doesn’t feel like it now. This change comes after the installation of artificial intelligence (AI) cameras to enforce traffic laws.
This camera has been installed at 30 junctions or crossings of the capital. Through this, vehicles violating traffic laws are being fined. Fearful drivers obey the law.
Choton Barua, a traffic policeman who was on duty at Karwan Bazar intersection last Wednesday night, told Prothom Alo, “Earlier, we had to fight to stop cars. Now it stops when the red light comes on. I can perform my duties in peace. But the battery operated rickshaws are causing problems.
The traffic department of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) started using AI technology on an experimental basis from May 7 at different intersections of Dhaka. AI-based cameras are equipped with software to detect violations of road traffic laws. According to the instructions given by the software, the camera detects the vehicle in case of violation of the law. Accordingly, the case is being filed digitally in the name of the concerned vehicle owner.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) at DMP headquarters on April 29. Ali Hossain Fakir inaugurated this software. Then on May 3, through a public notice, drivers and vehicle owners were warned about ‘traffic cases through video footage’. From May 7, the police started the automatic case procedure at the designated intersection.
Many of the drivers are welcoming this initiative of the traffic police. The driver of the microbus was waiting for the green light in front of the Intercontinental Hotel in the capital on Wednesday afternoon. Mohiuddin He told Prothom Alo, “It is undoubtedly a good initiative. However, sometimes the traffic members leave the vehicle while the red light is on. I don’t understand if there will be a case if we continue then.’
Police are using AI-based ‘PTZ cameras’ to identify number plates of vehicles violating traffic laws. It is an advanced security camera with ‘Pan-Tilt-Zoom’ technology. This camera is used for crowd monitoring. It can rotate 360 degrees and capture videos and photos. Can follow moving objects or people.
This camera can be easily controlled through computer or mobile app. With ‘optical zoom’ can detect clear images or vehicle number plates from far away. According to police sources, the price of each camera is more than 60 thousand rupees.
Officials of DMP’s traffic department say that initially six types of law violations have been given in the software. According to the instructions, this camera is taking photos along with the number plates by identifying the vehicles that violate these laws. Those images and videos are being stored on the servers of the Traffic Technical Unit (TTU) at the DMP headquarters.
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) server has been added to the software. As a result, detailed information about the owner of the vehicle that violates the law is easily available with the license plate number. Analyzing the data collected on the server, the case is being filed in the name of the owner.
According to traffic department information, the police have initially installed AI cameras at 30 intersections in Dhaka. There were already 80 cameras, which are powered by AI technology. Altogether, video images from 110 cameras are collected and analyzed with AI.
The traffic department said that such cameras will be installed on all signal lamp poles in the capital. The number will stand at 500. Now the work of installing new cameras in the area adjacent to Mohakhali bus terminal is going on.
According to DMP data, about 12,000 videos were uploaded to DMP’s servers in 13 days after the AI camera started being used. Policemen scrutinize them and file cases according to the level of violation. 548 cases have been filed so far.
A case is given only if the rules contained in the traffic law are violated. Driving in the opposite direction, disobeying signals, backing up at zebra crossings, disobeying the stop line, blocking the left lane, changing lanes suddenly, obstructing the road and illegal parking are considered serious offences.
DMP Traffic’s AI technology is being looked after by Senior System Analyst Sharmin Afroz. Last Wednesday afternoon, he told Prothom Alo, “From next week, crimes such as vehicular movement of passengers in public transport, not wearing seat belts in private cars, and motorcyclists and riders not having helmets will also be looked at seriously.”
Information on fines or prosecutions for violating traffic laws is now being sent to the owner by post. The police say that this will be sent to mobile phones soon.
DMP’s senior system analyst Sharmin Afroz said, to ensure transparency, they also plan to send a video link of a few seconds of the driver breaking the law.
The traffic department says that ‘demerit points’ will be added to the driver’s license if they break the law. Driving license has 12 points. The driver’s license can also be canceled at some point due to deduction of points.
Traffic police officials say that despite the installation of cameras, battery-powered rickshaws and easy bikes cannot be brought under control on the roads of Dhaka. Due to lack of registration, even if the violation of the law is caught on camera, the case cannot be filed.
Also, number plates of many vehicles are unclear. Some vehicles do not have number plates. As a result the camera is unable to detect those vehicles.
DMP issued a public notice on May 11 to use BRTA prescribed number plates. According to the notification, there is a legal obligation to affix number plates of the color, design and size prescribed by the government on the registered vehicles plying on the road.
In this regard, DMP Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Anisur Rahman told Prothom Alo that a major operation will be launched after the holy Eid-ul-Azha against vehicles without registration or with unclear number plates.
Old Lakkarjhakkar buses run in Dhaka. These buses often do not follow the signal. It is alleged that these buses can run through Masohara. It is expected that the house owners will not escape from the hands of AI cameras.
Many countries around the world are benefiting from using AI technology in traffic management. According to a report of Gulf News on March 17, the United Arab Emirates government has approved the installation of 50 AI-based traffic monitoring systems in various cities of the country. These centers will not only take action against breaking traffic laws, but also provide various types of information on the traffic system. This information will help in decision making.
Transport expert and professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering (BUET). Hadiuzzaman told Prothom Alo that AI is the last medicine to bring traffic management under control. This initiative stumbles but nothing else will be done. So to get 100% benefit, some policy changes must be made.
Professor Md. Hadiuzzaman said that unauthorized vehicles should be strictly controlled on roads where digital traffic lights and AI cameras are installed.
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