India - 20 more cameras to record traffic violations

20 more cameras to record traffic violations
28 Jan 2009, 0512 hrs IST, TNN

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CHENNAI: Those who jump the signal or flout traffic rules, beware. Soon, a postman carrying a notice for fine from traffic police may be
knocking at your doors, as prying cameras will be watching you at important traffic junctions across the city.

In addition to 14 existing surveillance cameras, 20 more would be installed at important junctions at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore to check traffic violations, transport minister K N Nehru told the Assembly on Tuesday.

Already, a sum of Rs one crore had been spent on installation of cameras in the city under the police modernisation scheme and if the system proved to be successful, it would be replicated in other major cities in the state, he said, responding to a query raised by PMK floor leader G K Mani.

Although the cameras were meant for overall traffic management, it would also be helpful in overall surveillance, Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Sunil Kumar told TOI.

The surveillance cameras will be installed at War Memorial, Secretariat out-gate, Wheels India junction, Valluvar Kottam, Anna Statue, S N Chetty Road toll gate junction, Periyar Salai, Kathipara, Madhya Kailash, Halda junction, Raj Bhavan, S R P Tools on Old Mahabalipuram Road, SIET, Vadapalani junction on 100 feet road, Porur, Ashok Pillar, Anna Nagar roundtana, Vijayanagar, Airport and Greenways Road.

Cameras were already in place at 14 junctions including Ega Theatre signal, Gandhi Statue, Spencer junction, Central railway station, Nandanam, Eldams Road junction and Anna Rotary near Anna flyover. Sunil Kumar said that a total of 50 surveillance cameras had been planned for the city.

All the terminals will be monitored from the central control room located at the commissioner's office. The traffic police, who can zoom in on the registration numbers of violating vehicles, will send the details to the traffic commissioner's office. The police will then send a challan, called B' memo, citing the reason for the fine, with a mention of date, time and place of violation. The city police have collected more than Rs 8 crore as fine for traffic violations in 2008.

Nehru also announced that surveillance cameras would be installed at important junctions on the Tindivanam-Chennai highway. Detailed announcements in this regard would be made in the budget, he added.

On the menace of drunken driving, the minister said the government would continue to strictly enforce the cancellation of driving licences of those who caused fatal incidents.