Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam on Sunday said GPS trackers will be installed in all public transport to prevent irregularities and improve road safety.

He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a high-level meeting at Secretariat aimed at strengthening measures to prevent road accidents and enhance overall road safety.

The minister said the system would help authorities control speeding, monitor vehicle locations and detect violations of traffic rules.

It would also help stop the practice of picking up and dropping passengers at unauthorised points.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner Md Sarwar said GPS installation in buses and other commercial vehicles will begin in phases.

“If GPS is installed, we will be able to identify vehicles that exceed speed limits and take action accordingly. Fines will be sent to the registered owners of the vehicles,” he said.

He added that vehicles deviating from approved routes would also be detected through geo-fencing, and legal action would be taken against such violations.

Sarwar further said GPS would help identify unfit vehicles operating on the roads.

 “Vehicles must renew their fitness certificates regularly. If an unfit vehicle is found operating, action can be taken immediately,” he said.

He said that the system will be monitored by law enforcement agencies including police and  Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) through digital control software.

Md Sarwar expressed his optimism that the introduction of GPS along with existing CCTV and speed camera systems will strengthen digital enforcement and bring greater discipline to the transport sector.