Mis Project Final

MIS 105

USE OF GPS (GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM) TO TACKLE

TRAFFIC CONGESTION OF DHAKA CITYPROJECT REPORT

Submitted by

MOHAMMAD KASHIF CHOUDHURY (ID: 092 0220 020)MD. MONJURUL HASSAN (ID: 092 0319 520)

SOMEN DUTTA (ID: 092 0359 520)MINHAZ AHMED (ID: 092 0497 520)TAHSIN AZMAIN (ID: 092 0024 520)

DATE OF SUBMISSION

In fulfillment for the requirements

Of

MIS 105SECTION 10

COURSE INSTRUCTOR: AIK

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Apart from the efforts made by us, the success of any project depends largely on the encouragement and guidelines of many others. We take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the people who have been instrumental in the successful completion of this project.  

We would like to show our greatest appreciation to Prof. Ashik Imran Khan. We can’t thank him enough for his tremendous support and help. We feel motivated and encouraged every time we attend his classes. Without his encouragement and guidance this project would not have materialized. 

The guidance and support received from all the persons who contributed and to this project was vital for the success of the project. We are grateful for their constant support and help. 

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LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

November 22, 2009

ToMr. Ashik Imran Khan Course InstructorIntroduction to Computers (MIS 105)School of BusinessNorth South University

Subject: Submission of the report on USE OF GPS (GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM) TO TACKLE TRAFFIC CONGESTION OF DHAKA CITY.

Dear Sir,

With due respect and humble submission, we would like to inform you that we are the following students of MIS 105 want to submit our report on USE OF GPS (GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM) TO TACKLE TRAFFIC CONGESTION OF DHAKA CITY.

In the writing of the report we have tried to follow all the guidelines provided by you and tried to make our analysis in an effective way. We have worked very hard, set together on numerous occasions and finally made this report.

We also want to claim that throughout our work, we did not do anything unethical and all the writing materials are our own work. We would like to request you to consider our limitations and grant our report to make our hard work successful.

Sincerely Yours,

Mohammad Kashif Choudhury (ID: 092 0220 020)Md. Monjurul Hassan (ID: 092 0319 520)Somen Dutta (ID: 092 0359 520)Minhaz Ahmed (ID: 092 0497 520)Tahsin Azmain (ID: 092 0024 520)

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ABSTRACT

In this paper, we present the role GPS (Global Positioning System) in combating Dhaka’s manic traffic jams. We outline the steps that have to be taken and how GPS can play a pivotal role in all this. If these measures are followed, the problem of congestion will be greatly reduced. This method is the fastest and the most efficient way of improving Dhaka’s infrastructure so that the suffering of the people because of traffic jams are brought down to a manageable level.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE NO .

1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii2. LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL iii3. ABSTRACT iv4. INTRODUCTION 15. WHAT IS GPS? 26. HOW CAN THE USE OF GPS HELP IN MANAGING THE

TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN DHAKA CITY 37. STAGE 1 48. STAGE 2 69. STAGE 3 810. CONCLUSION 1111. LIST OF REFERENCES 12

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INTRODUCTION

he notorious jams of Dhaka have become so unbearable that people have started

looking for solutions to this menacing problem. The main causes of this problem

are the lack of adequate roads, incompetent drivers, lack of signaling infrastructure,

and government mismanagement among others.

T

Figure 1: Horrendous Traffic Jam

The problem has escalated so much that nowadays people depart an hour in advance of what

they would have if there were no jams. Gridlocks regularly last for hours causing massive

losses to the economy and irreparable damage to the environment. It seems that the

government is at a loss about what to do about this nagging issue that has become a menace

to the entire society.

In keeping with the government’s pledge for a digital Bangladesh, there is a solution to this

problem that can be found in technology. More specifically it is the use of GPS technology in

tackling the traffic congestion of Dhaka city.

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WHAT IS GPS?

GPS, which stands for Global Positioning System is a network of satellites and devices that,

when working together, can relay information about the exact position of objects on the

earth’s surface.

How it works: There are two components to a GPS system.

1. The satellite

2. The receiver

The satellite: There are about 24 GPS satellites orbiting the earth. These send out

longitudinal, latitudinal and time data to GPS enabled devices that request it. These data can

then be manipulated into information about the whereabouts of the object.

The receiver: The receiver is a device normally the size of a mobile phone that sends out

signals to the orbiting satellites requesting them to send it its position.

Figure 2: GPS Satellites

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Figure 3: GPS Communication

Example of a GPS system at work: Suppose Mahmood has a GPS device in his car. He is

lost somewhere in Mirpur. He can turn his GPS device on. This will be the receiver. It sends

a request to the GPS satellite send it its location. The GPS satellite responds and the receiver

receives the information. Then Mahmood comes to know where he is. This whole process

takes less than one second.

How can the use of GPS help in managing the traffic congestion in Dhaka?

GPS has to be used in three different stages for it to be effective.

Stage 1: Assess the main causes of traffic jams related to infrastructure using GPS

Stage 2: Build new roadways and shape traffic policies using GPS

Stage 3: Maintain the roads after the infrastructure has been overhauled using GPS

These are the 3 main stages in which GPS has to be used if we are to be able to combat this

problem. The three stages are going to be discussed from the next page.

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STAGE 01: Assess The Main Causes Of Traffic Jams Related to infrastructure using GPS.

he first step is to diagnose the problem and deduce where the infrastructure is

lacking and then take measures to improve it. First there should be sensor loops

installed in roads to assess the amount of traffic flow. These sensor loops will in

turn be linked to a central control centre where computers will gather the data and compute

the areas of highest congestion and the timing of these events. Then, the control centre will

send these data to the GPS satellites and then build a detailed map of the most congested

roads of Dhaka. These will then be used to build a road map for the infrastructure

enhancements.

T

Figure 4: Flowchart summarizing Stage 1

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GPS satellite makes a detailed map of traffic flow and diagnoses problem spots

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Figure 5: Dhaka City Map

The GPS can be used to map Dhaka city and analyze the structure and aid in the decision of

where to build new infrastructure and what type of infrastructure will be best for the

particular route.

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STAGE 2: Build New Roadways and Shape Traffic Policies Using GPS

These might include:

- Expanding existing roads: GPS can be used to see which roads can be expanded given the

space available.

- Diversion roads: These will be used to spread out the flow of traffic. The most common cause

of traffic jams is the lack of adequate roads. By building more roads, traffic will have to cover

less distance because the roads will be more direct. GPS can be used to map out the best

possible routes for the new roads. For example, what is the best route from Uttara to

Dhanmondi.

- Building overpasses for cars: There are some situations where there is too much congestion of

both traffic and buildings to build wide roads that can accommodate a large number of

vehicles. In these situations, building flyovers are the only option. These bypass a lot of the

infrastructural constraints on the ground and as a result allow for smooth movements of

traffic. GPS can be used to determine where flyovers would be most effective.

- Mapping out of the areas of highest traffic concentration: The most crucial areas of

concentration should be found out. That is, roads in high density urban areas such as

Mohakhali, Dhanmondi, Gulshan, Banani should be covered with GPS equipment to manage

traffic after the infrastructural changes. The GPS equipment will monitor the flow of traffic

throughout Dhaka city and relay the data to the central control station for analysis.

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Figure 6: Flowchart of Stage 2

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Build new infrastructure

Expansion of existing roads

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STAGE 3: Maintain The Roads after the infrastructure has been overhauled.

inally in the third stage, GPS plays the most integral part in the process. This is the

maintenance of the traffic system and road network in the city.FAfter new infrastructure has been established, it has to be maintained; otherwise, the traffic

situation will be back to what it was before. Here, GPS will also play an integral role. The

sensor loops mentioned in Stage 1 will be left in place and they will provide constant data to

the control centre about the traffic movement. This will be used to assess if the traffic flow is

being disrupted due to some unforeseen event. If so, through the help of GPS, the DMP

(Dhaka Metropolitan police) will decide the course of action that will be best for the

movement of traffic.

As for the public transport network, the buses will have GPS receivers installed in them so

that their position can be known at any time. The public will be able to know the time of

arrival of the buses through SMS or electronic signs in the bus stations. This will also be

controlled and synchronized by the Central Traffic Control Centre.

Figure 7: A Central Traffic Control Centre.

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The elevated expressways that will be built are also going to have to be monitored as well.

The GPS will be used to monitor the movement of trains so that they move along without

problems and the risk of accidents is minimized.

Figure 8: Elevated Expressways

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Figure 9: A Detailed Flowchart showing the central traffic management system that will be organized by the use of GPS.

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CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the above recommendations can be applied to Dhaka city using GPS

technology to rid the city of traffic jams and congestion. Dhaka is one of the most congested

cities in the world with a population of more than 15 million. The congestion situation will

keep getting worse if these drastic steps using GPS are not taken immediately. Through the

following 3 steps, the congestion of Dhaka city will be greatly reduced.

Stage 1: Assess the main causes of traffic jams related to infrastructure using GPS

Stage 2: Build new roadways and shape traffic policies using GPS

Stage 3: Maintain the roads after the infrastructure has been overhauled using GPS

The public infrastructure has to be overhauled as well, and for this, the use of GPS in the

planning, implementation and the maintenance stage will be critical.

Some may argue that the cost of such an undertaking is going to be huge and that a poor

country like us cannot afford such measures, but the fact is that Dhaka is not a very big

metropolis. The problem arises from a large number of people trying to live in a relatively

small amount of space. The cost of this undertaking in the long run will be easily offset by

the gain in productivity that will be experienced by the common folk by not having to spend

half the day sitting in traffic jams. In addition, the overall standard of living of Dhaka

residents will be improved.

In this regard, the government can step forward to implement these changes as soon as

possible for the greater good of the people and Global Positioning system (GPS) can play a

central role in ensuring the long term success of this project.

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LIST OF REFERENCES

Pictures taken from: www.google.com

Some information taken from: www.wikipedia.org

Dhaka Metropolitan Police

Map of Dhaka City: www.maps.google.com

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