The Chennai traffic police have started testing the ‘contactless enforcement system,’ with the help of high-end CCTV cameras, in Anna Nagar and surrounding areas. Under this, challans with the image of violations will reach the doorsteps of motorists who flout traffic rules.
In this system, the policemen do not have to physically intercept the violators. With this, the police expect better manpower utilisation and reduction in traffic violations. This will be rolled out in other parts of the city soon, police sources said.
The traffic police, with assistance from Hyundai, have installed 64 cameras and most of them are embedded with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) software. The equipment have been installed at arterial roads such as near Anna Nagar Roundtana, Shanti Colony, 100 feet Road - Thirumangalam junction and other important junctions.
“The cameras are operational across Anna Nagar now. They are monitored from a control room near the Anna Nagar Roundtanna. The cameras capture the vehicle registration number, and a challan, along with a TV grab of their violation, will be sent to their homes,” said a senior police officer.
Police said that the details pertaining to the vehicle registration number will be sourced from database of Vahan, the portal of the transport department. “The violators do not have to visit the police station to pay the fine. They can do it from the convenience of their homes through banks or at post offices,” added the police officer.
During the trial run, the cops have been capturing violations including jumping stop-line, not wearing helmets, over speeding, lane jumping, triple riding will be tracked using the cameras. “Once we start sending the challans, we are hopeful that the violations will reduce. The same system will be implemented in other parts of the city soon,” the officer explained.
Traffic policemen are happy about the initiative. “Some motorists argue with us claiming that they did not violate the rules. With the new technology, we don’t have to intervene unless it is a major incident. Our focus can be on regulating traffic and ensuring a smooth flow,” added a traffic investigation offer.