Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday ordered the installation of AI-enabled automatic traffic signal systems at least 50 more locations across Dhaka, as part of a wider push to improve traffic management and curb air and noise pollution in the capital.

The directive came during a meeting on environmental pollution held at the Prime Minister's Office, where officials reviewed measures to address worsening air quality, excessive noise and vehicle emissions.

The prime minister instructed the authorities to expedite the rollout of the AI-powered traffic management system, which is already in use at selected intersections, to help ease congestion and improve traffic flow.

The directive follows the early success of Dhaka's AI-based traffic management system, which has helped improve compliance with traffic rules at key intersections.

Since its launch, the system has automatically detected violations such as red-light jumping, wrong-way driving, lane violations and illegal parking, leading to around 1,500 traffic cases by early July. Police officials say drivers are increasingly obeying traffic signals voluntarily, reducing the need for manual enforcement.

PM Rahman also ordered the swift removal of unfit, expired and highly polluting buses, trucks and other vehicles from Dhaka’s roads, stressing the need for effective enforcement to reduce emissions from the transport sector.

To tackle one of the country's major sources of air pollution, Rahman directed the authorities to take prompt action against polluting brick kilns and accelerate the adoption of environmentally friendly technologies for brick production.

The meeting also discussed ways to curb excessive use of vehicle horns, a major contributor to noise pollution in the capital. The prime minister instructed law enforcement agencies to strengthen enforcement of existing regulations against unnecessary honking.

Officials further explored how artificial intelligence could be used to detect and control excessive horn use, similar to its application in traffic management systems.

The meeting was attended by Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo, State Minister Shaikh Faridul Islam, State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad, the prime minister's Special Assistant on Environment, Forest and Climate Change Saimum Parvez, administrators of the Dhaka North and South city corporations, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Md Anisur Rahman, and senior officials from relevant ministries and agencies.