TN notifies rules to e-monitor roads; violators run high risk

CHENNAI: The State government has notified the rules for ‘Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement of Road Safety’ to place electronic enforcement devices like CCTV cameras and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) at high-risk and high-density corridors on the National Highways and state highways and critical junctions in major cities like Chennai, Thoothukudi, Tiruchy and Madurai.

The gazette publication of the rules came months after a Supreme Court Bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud directed that steps be taken to institute electronic monitoring to enforce provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act.

As per the notification, the rules specify the detailed provisions for the placement of electronic enforcement devices like speed cameras, CCTV, speed guns, body wearable cameras, dashboard cameras, ANPR, weigh-in machines and any other technology by the State government.

It said that body wearable cameras worn by police officers, transport officials or any other official authorised by the state government and similarly, dashboard cameras placed on the dashboard of any police vehicle or in any other vehicle for enforcing the traffic rules.

The footage from an electronic enforcement device having an electronic stamp for location, date and time can be used to issue challan for 12 offences including overspeeding, jumping a red light, violating a stop sign, driving without a seat belt and helmet, and parking vehicle at an unauthorised location. The notice of the offence should be sent within fifteen days of the occurrence of the offence and the electronic record collected by way of electronic monitoring should be stored till the disposal of the challan, it noted.

Sumana Narayanan, road safety expert and senior researcher at Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group said electronic enforcement is a good move and there is a need for it. “E-enforcement success depends on how automated the whole system is. If it is fully automated, it will be good. If not, the manpower needed for monitoring the camera footage and generating the e-challans would fail to serve the purpose,” she said.

“Moreover, the collection of the fine amount from the offenders issued with the e-challans is important,” she added.