Chennai police put brakes on speed challan drive

CHENNAI: A day after announcing that speed radar guns would be installed at 30 locations to automatically issue challans if motorists exceed 40 kmph speed during the day and 50 kmph during the night, the city police took a U-turn claiming that the speed radar guns would be used only for study purposes and not for raising challans.

"Owing to criticism from certain quarters in social media and some confusions alleging that Chennai police have proposed to generate challans for speed violations, it is clarified that police installed six speed display boards wherein the speed of every vehicle crossing that board will be displayed and the road user will be able to know if they have crossed the permitted speed limit. These boards are for cautionary purposes and not equipped to generate challans," the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) clarified on its social media handle.

Though 40 kmph is the designated speed limit within the city, it was not feasible for traffic policemen to enforce this rule and the machines were expected to ensure safe driving, police had claimed.

In the first phase, 10 speed radars along with automatic number plate recognition cameras at a cost of Rs 54.33 lakh were installed at Anna Arivalayam junction, Dr Gurusamy Bridge, Pullah Avenue, Ration Shop Junction in Maduravoyal, Parry's Corner junction, Injambakkam, and Spencer Plaza, police said.

However, on Tuesday, the police backtracked claiming that the data captured by ANPR cameras would be used only for study purposes till a final decision is taken about permissible speed limits.

"Possibility of exploring different speed limits in different roads at different times will also be explored along with the comparative study of speed limits in other metros," it added.