AI traffic signal failure at Banglamotor sparks morning chaos

Commuters at Banglamotor faced severe traffic congestion this morning (6 July) after the AI-powered traffic signal stopped functioning around 6am, forcing traffic police to manually manage one of the capital’s busiest intersections for several hours.

Traffic conditions only began to improve after the AI-powered traffic signal was restored at around 10:25am. 

Earlier, traffic police officer Sabbir, on duty at the intersection, said the authorities had been working to restore the system since the morning.

The malfunction had created confusion among motorists during the morning rush, with many drivers ignoring traffic instructions and attempting to cross the intersection from different directions at the same time, commuters said.

An office-goer, Shofiqul, said the non-functioning signal had led to significant disorder as drivers paid little attention to which side of the intersection had been given the right of way.

“They are just driving recklessly, breaking the signal,” a passerby, Yousuf, said, describing the situation as chaotic.

Yeamin, another office-goer passing through the intersection on his motorcycle, said, “Even though many others are ignoring the rules, I am trying to follow them. This situation is completely unacceptable. Drivers should be responsible and obey traffic rules on their own instead of relying entirely on AI-controlled signals.”

Traffic police officer Sabbir said the malfunction had made traffic management significantly more difficult at the busy intersection.

Traffic had to be managed manually, he said, adding that it had been challenging to maintain order because of the heavy traffic volume.