An artificial intelligence-based ‘auto fine system’ was launched on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway on Tuesday to improve road safety, ensure traffic discipline and take quick action against traffic law violations.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed inaugurated the system at the Highway Police’s Command, Control and Monitoring Centre at Meghnaghat in Sonargaon, Narayanganj.

The minister said the system is expected to bring a major change to traffic management and it would be gradually introduced on all national highways after evaluating its performance on the Dhaka-Chattogram route.

Salahuddin said illegal extortion on highways whether involving transport owners, workers’ federations or police personnel would not be tolerated. “Such activities would be recorded by CCTV and AI cameras,” he said.

The minister also said unauthorised and unlicensed three-wheelers and non-motorised vehicles would not be allowed to operate on highways and police would take immediate legal action against them.

Under the project, AI cameras have already been installed on 490 pillars along the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. The cameras can automatically detect and record speeding, dangerous overtaking, violations of traffic signals, driving on the wrong side and illegal parking.

Once a violation is detected, the vehicle’s information will be sent to the Bangladesh Rroad Transport Authority’s (BRTA) database and an SMS containing details of the case will be sent to the registered owner’s mobile phone.

Vehicle owners will be able to pay fines from home through mobile financial services (MFS), while repeated violations may lead to cancellation of vehicle registration under BRTA rules.

Highway Police chief and Additional IGP Faruk Ahmed chaired the inauguration ceremony, attended by IGP Md Ali Hossain Fakir, Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation president and MP Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, and Narayanganj-3 MP Azharul Islam Mannan.