DHAKA, 21 April 2025 (BSS) – As part of the move for further improving traffic safety in Dhaka, the Traffic Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) have jointly launched the ‘Safe Pedestrian Crossing Pilot Project’.
“The project will enhance the capacity of DMP to implement traffic safety measures in Dhaka city. We are working closely with the city corporations of Dhaka as the main partner of this project,” DMP spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Talebur Rahman told BSS today.

The pilot project will be evaluated by analyzing the opinions of pedestrians and other data, he said, adding that benefits obtained from this pilot project will be used by DMP and the city corporation to further improve traffic safety initiatives in Dhaka in future.

The project was launched on Sunday under the Dhaka Road Traffic Safety Project (DRSP), which is a technical cooperation project funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The pilot programme will run from 8:00am to 12:00pm every day (except holidays) until May 8 next at the pedestrian crossings located in front of the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Mirpur University College in Mirpur.
 
To make the pilot project successful, the DNCC has widened the crossing by marking the road properly to ensure the safety of pedestrians during peak-hours.

During this pilot project under the DRSP, a set of portable traffic lights with push buttons will be installed at the location for safe crossing.

The DMP traffic police were deployed there to provide overall assistance to pedestrians and enforce traffic laws against traffic violators.

This location has been selected after observing multiple safety challenges from nearby healthcare and educational institutions including unsafe pedestrian crossings, inadequate pedestrian crossing spaces, illegal parking and unauthorized stopping of buses at zebra crossings.

DMP DC Talebur Rahman said that they have prepared a guideline for the drivers and pedestrians to make sure safe crossing of the roads.  

“So, we are requesting road users, pedestrians and vehicle drivers to follow traffic rules and use the designated crossing facilities,” he said.
 
The DMP has sought full cooperation of all the people of the areas and the road users in the successful implementation of the pilot project.

Instructions to vehicle drivers:
Traffic signals and lights should be obeyed. When the traffic lights are yellow and red, vehicles should stop before the stop line. Vehicles should not be stopped on zebra crossings in any way.

Instructions to pedestrians:

Before crossing, one should stay on the footpath. When the traffic light is green, pedestrians should cross the road through the zebra crossing. To cross the road, the pedestrian should press the pedestrian push switch on the traffic light pole on the footpath and wait for the pedestrian signal light to turn green.