Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is launching a new enforcement drive to curb road accidents by strictly regulating vehicle speeds and traffic compliance.
Initiative, supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), began with a day-long training workshop for 35 officials, including police officers and city engineers, in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Under the new guidelines, city speed limits are capped at 40 km/h on expressways and major highways, while most other urban roads are limited to 30 km/h. Motorcycles are also restricted to a 30 km/h limit within city areas. DMP Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) Md. Anisur Rahman confirmed that authorities will soon ban unfit vehicles over 20 years old and battery-run rickshaws from major roads to reduce congestion and fatalities.
“Ensuring road safety is possible if drivers and owners cooperate with us,” said Anisur Rahman.
DMP is initiating pilot safety projects on three high-traffic routes: Airport Road, 300 Feet Road, and Lake Road. These areas will see intensified monitoring of speed limits, illegal parking, and wrong-way driving.
Plans to introduce GPS tracking in vehicles are also underway. GRSP advisor Peter Jones led the training, utilizing research data and audiovisual tools to demonstrate the direct correlation between high speeds and crash severity.
