AI-powered cameras to check traffic violations at Delhi entry points soon: Report
The department is likely to float a tender for the ambitious project in one-and-a-half months, an official said.
The Delhi transport department will soon set up artificial intelligence-powered cameras at entry points to the national capital to check traffic violations, including those of pollution control norms, officials said on Thursday.
Also Read| Three gang members arrested after exchange of fire in Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar
"Not only pollution control, but these cameras will also detect other offences. One of the cameras will read number plates and the system will identify the vehicle's owner and also generate other details. It will detect whether the vehicle has a valid PUCC and if not, the diver will get an e-challan," an official said.
"The data will be integrated with the e-challan system. There are also plans to integrate this with the environmental compensation cess collected by the MCD on behalf of the Delhi government. The cess is collected from commercial vehicles entering Delhi," he said, adding the move will also reduce manual intervention.
Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot held a meeting Wednesday over this. In a tweet in Hindi, he said, "To ensure lane enforcement in Delhi, under the able leadership of CM @ArvindKejriwal ji, the Delhi government will use smart measures like AI-enabled cameras etc. Today, a meeting with the agencies was held to ensure lane driving and road safety in Delhi."
According to sources, the minister has asked officials to firm up a plan and come up with a proposal. "The cameras will also be used to check lane enforcement of buses. They will detect whether vehicles are plying in bus lanes or being parked in them. They will also help in detection of other offences," the source added.
The department is likely to float a tender for the ambitious project in one-and-a-half months, an official said, adding, "We are drafting the tender document and finalising the details. The cameras are likely to be installed at 13 main entry points of Delhi and NDMC entry points."
The official said there are plans to install two cameras in each lane. One will be focused on reading number plates, and the second will capture traffic violations such as overloading or not wearing seatbelts among others.
He said the department will procure details of e-way bills from the GST division. The cameras will detect vehicles and their type, following which the system will get details of the e-way bill, and then a matrix will be used to calculate the green cess.
"This way, the role of MCD will be reduced and the government will directly collect the cess. These are long-term plans. At the moment, the focus is on procuring the artificial intelligence-enabled cameras and integrating them with the various portals. After the cameras are procured, the integration work will take at least two to three months," he added.