Delhi govt plans to install CCTV cams to cut violations of bus-lane rule

The Delhi transport department has, to this effect, asked technology firms to present solutions that will help authorities identify violations only on the bus lanes, official documents seen by HT showed.

CCTV cameras will be installed across the national capital to pull up bus drivers not keeping to their earmarked lanes and penalise owners of vehicles parked on these stretches, the Delhi government said on Friday, in a move to curb violations of a rule aimed at easing snarls and ensuring unhindered traffic movement on arterial stretches.

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The Delhi transport department has, to this effect, asked technology firms to present solutions that will help authorities identify violations only on the bus lanes, official documents seen by HT showed.

Officials said transport department staff manually ensure the lane-driving rule, introduced this April, is followed, adding that automating the enforcement of the law will help bring down the large number of violations that go scot-free right now.

Buses and goods carriage vehicles have been assigned lanes across 143km of roads in the Capital, and drivers who slip out of these stretches are fined ₹10,000.

Ensuring a safe space

“We are looking for a partner who can provide technological intervention, which can eliminate manual enforcement, either completely or even partially,” a transport department official said.

Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said, “The plan is still in the early stages”.

State transport department officials said a majority of the violations of the norm were actually by private vehicle owners, who park their cars or two-wheelers in these lanes.

“Till 4 July this year, the transport demand has issued 44,594 fines as part of the bus lane enforcement drive. These include 1,591 challans issued to bus drivers for lane violations and 43,003 challans issued to private vehicle owners for parking in bus lanes. A total of 526 vehicles have also been towed away for improper parking in the bus lane,” said a transport department official.

Gahlot on Wednesday inspected bus lanes and queue shelters at the ITO-Kashmere Gate stretch covering Delhi Gate, Lal Qila and Daryaganj and officials of the Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) to ensure the upkeep of bus queue shelters across the Capital.

During the inspection, Gahlot also directed the officials to clear bus lanes of parked vehicles.

“Public transport is essential for the growth of the city. Around 35 lakh [3.5 million] people in Delhi use buses every day, and with our dedicated bus lanes in the city, we are ensuring they have safe travel. We are also focusing on making our bus stops convenient with bus queue shelters ensuring easy movement of buses and safe pick up and drop of passengers. Under the visionary leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, we are committed on making public transport facilities smoother, safer and more convenient for the citizens of Delhi,” the minister was quoted in a statement by the Delhi government.

Amit Bhatt, managing director (India), International Council on Clean Transportation said: “Public transport is critical for sustainable urban development. However, the benefits will increase even more if public transport is clean. Bus lanes are an excellent step towards prioritising this, and the impact will be even more significant with electric buses.”