Tamil Nadu has roads that are among the deadliest in the country, but four major road safety projects proposed in the state have remained on paper for years now. Though tenders were floated for some projects and funds were sanctioned, nothing has materialised. Despite repeated attempts, TN road safety commissioner Tenkasi S Jawahar was unavailable to answer questions on why the four projects are being delayed.
ANPR system
In February 2018, the government had proposed to introduce a speed violation detection system (SVDS) along Chennai-Trichy national highway (NH45), which reports around 100 accidents a year. The system was to consist of speed sensors, ANPR cameras and a control centre. Any vehicle which crossed the speed limit of 100km per hour will be caught using 56 sensors fitted at multiple points on the 270km stretch. These sensors will trigger an image capture command to ANPR cameras. A total of 168 cameras were supposed to be installed. The control centre, with the help of a software, can extract vehicle registration number details of speeding vehicles using images captured by these cameras and generate traffic challans automatically.
“Though it is a necessity, there are no signs of progress,” said G Ganesh from Tamil Nadu Lorry Owners’ Association. “Till then, the government should ensure that roads are safe. For instance, for the past six months lights near Singaperumalkoil on NH45 have not been working. When they can’t get the basics right, there is no point in dreaming about such hi-tech projects.”
GPS-based auto meters
In 2012, former chief minister J Jayalaithaa had announced that her government will install GPS-enabled fare meters in autorickshaws in Chennai. She had promised to install meters fitted with receipt printers and panic buttons in 43,000 autos in the city in the first phase of the project. Seven years later, the state transport department set up a pilot control centre in Anna Nagar. But that became defunct. Months later, plans were devised to run the project in Thiruvanmiyur regional transport office (RTO) and 2,000 autos were shortlisted. But that too did not take off even as plans are on to expand the pilot scheme to at least six more RTOs. G Sadagopan, a transportation activist from Avadi, said: “Given the number of crimes happening in autos and public transport, an SOS option in autos is necessary, particularly for women and senior citizens.”
A regular autorickshaw user, S Dinesh from Perungudi, said without smart meters, commuters end up paying more. “Every day, we have to haggle with auto drivers. Some of them demand four to five times more when passengers are not familiar with the local tongue,” he said.
High security number plates
In 2001, the Union road transport ministry had made installation of high security registration number plates (HSRP) mandatory for all vehicles. The primary purpose was to stop misuse of stolen vehicles. Unlike conventional number plates, HSRPs can’t be tampered with or removed once fixed. At present, automobile dealers are embossing holograms and barcodes on conventional number plates but are not installing the third number plates (stickers on the top left corner of a car’s windshield) as mandated by central government rules.
Asked about the delay, a senior transport department official said, “Tenders floated in 2013 were cancelled and fresh bids were floated. This too was caught up in legal hurdle for long. Only now we have got this sorted and invited bids on January 18 to install HSRP plates for 2.7 crore vehicles in the state.”
But S Rajvel, state chairperson of Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA), said there were no scanners or necessary infrastructure to scan or track stolen/misused vehicles as claimed.
Delhi and Puducherry are the only states that have implemented it to an extent, he said. In Tamil Nadu there are only four approved manufacturers, so the cost of vehicles will increase if HSRP stickers were introduced, Rajvel said.
Digital testing tracks in RTOs
While inaugurating the first electronic driving testing track at Karur RTO in May 2018, Tamil Nadu transport minister M R Vijayabaskar had said the it will be expanded in 13 other RTOs across the state including six in Chennai and its suburbs. But the project has remained on paper. As per the proposed design, these tracks will have an H-track, a slope and a sharp curve. Applicants should be able to drive through all these three type of tracks without hitting against the bollards or poles on the sides to get a licence. Vibration sensors fitted to the bollards will buzz if the driver hits against the sides. An applicant is given two chances to pass the test. Of the 830 people who took up the test at Karur RTO in 2019, 40% flunked. Road safety experts said the technology exposed the loopholes of manual inspections.
But only technology may not suffice, awareness is the key. “Along with such high-end tests, RTOs should ensure that learners attended enough classes before arriving at their offices for driving tests. At least during road safety week celebrations, they can take awareness classes for all applicants,” said road safety advocate V S Suresh Kumar.