Prime Minister Tarique Rahman yesterday directed the authorities to introduce automatic traffic light systems at least 50 more locations across Dhaka as quickly as possible to improve traffic management.

The directive came during a meeting on environmental pollution chaired by the prime minister at his Tejgaon office, according to his Assistant Press Secretary Gazi Shahriar Pamy.

The meeting discussed a range of measures to curb air and noise pollution, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology -- similar to AI cameras used in traffic management -- to monitor and control unnecessary use of vehicle horns.

The prime minister also instructed law enforcement agencies to play a more stringent role in enforcing laws against excessive horn use in the capital.

He emphasised the need to quickly remove unfit, expired and environment-polluting buses, trucks and other vehicles from Dhaka’s roads.

Tarique also stressed the need to produce bricks using environmentally friendly alternative technologies to reduce air pollution.  The meeting decided to take swift and effective action to curb air pollution caused by brick kilns.