Staff Correspondent: A stakeholder meeting was held regarding the report of a high-level committee formed to bring the various Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) systems currently in use across the country’s roads, bridges, flyovers, expressways, and tunnels under a single, integrated (interoperable) network.
Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Secretary of the Bridges Division and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, presided over this important meeting held on Wednesday, June 24, at the conference room of the Bridges Division. Representatives from relevant government agencies, private sector stakeholders, technical experts, and journalists attended the meeting.
The meeting featured a detailed discussion on the architecture of a self-contained, unified platform proposed by the committee, which can be implemented rapidly and at a very low cost. Under this plan, existing RFID-based ETC systems will be interconnected with a central network via APIs. Considering the overall scope of work, it has been recommended that the system be implemented by the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Division or an agency under its jurisdiction.
A decision in principle was reached to use a single RFID tag supplied exclusively by the BRTA, replacing the practice of using separate tags from various agencies, in order to reduce customer harassment and procedural complexities. Additionally, an integrated mobile app will be developed for user convenience, providing access to all essential services—including registration, toll information, digital payments, and traffic alerts.
The stakeholders and experts present highly praised the proposed platform while simultaneously placing special emphasis on simplifying customer registration and toll payment processes, as well as ensuring foolproof security for the system and financial transactions.
In his remarks as the chair, Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Secretary of the Bridges Division, stated that smart infrastructure and cashless transactions constitute key pillars of the Honorable Prime Minister’s modern communication system.
To further accelerate the revolutionary transformation in the country’s transport and communication systems—brought about by the construction of expressways, tunnels, and flyovers—it is now essential to implement fully automated management systems at toll plazas. This would make it possible to eliminate the wastage of time and fuel associated with vehicle movement. He also expressed optimism that, based on these fruitful discussions among stakeholders, a final, modern, and effective roadmap and set of recommendations would soon be submitted to the government.
The meeting included a detailed discussion on the limitations of the disparate systems currently used at various toll plazas across the country—including the Padma Bridge, Jamuna Bridge, Dhaka-Mawa Expressway, Mayor Hanif Flyover, and Karnaphuli Tunnel—and the resulting public inconvenience. This unified toll system will serve as a groundbreaking initiative in ensuring transparency and accountability, as well as in achieving the government’s goal of establishing a ‘cashless society.’
The meeting was attended by, among others, the Road Transport and Highways Department, Local Government Department, Information and Communication Technology Department, Bangladesh Bank, BRTA, National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC), a2i (a2i), Roads and Highways Department, Dhaka South City Corporation, Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Islamic University of Technology (IUT), Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association, various banks and Mobile Financial Services (MFS) and Representatives from national media outlets were present and offered their valuable opinions and technical advice.
