Delhi traffic police to install cameras in 31 locations
By March 31, the traffic police department is looking to increase the number of speed detection cameras at 25 locations. Another six spots will get red-light detection cameras, which are installed at traffic junctions and equipped to record violations such as stop-light jumps, stop-line violations and driving against the flow of traffic.
After the success of camera-based prosecutions last year when Covid-induced curbs were in place, the Delhi traffic department will install additional speed detection and red-light violation cameras in around 31 spots across the Capital by March 31, said senior traffic police officials.
“We are maintaining the balance between technology and human intervention in policing,” said joint commissioner of police (traffic), Manish Agarwal. “Cameras are very effective for violations such as speeding, because traffic officials on the roads cannot screen all the cars that travel beyond the speed limit. However, cameras equipped to detect this violation can track each and every vehicle that goes beyond the set limit,” he added.
He added that during and after the Covid-19 lockdown — which was imposed from March 25 and began being lifted in phases in the first week of May — the department relied heavily on camera-based fines to ensure the safety of commuters and its own staff.
By March 31, the traffic police department is looking to increase the number of speed detection cameras at 25 locations. Another six spots will get red-light detection cameras, which are installed at traffic junctions and equipped to record violations such as stop-light jumps, stop-line violations and driving against the flow of traffic. These cameras also record speeding offences.
Traffic officials in charge of the project said over 50 cameras will be installed in the 25 locations, and nearly 100 cameras will be installed at the six junctions where multiple violations will be detected.
The speed detection cameras will be installed on Mathura Road, Mahatma Gandhi Road, National Highway-48, Rohtak Road and Mukarba Chowk. The red-light violation cameras will be set up at intersections around Peeragarhi Chowk, Britannia Chowk, Azadpur Chowk and Burari.
Currently, the city has over 150 cameras installed at 37 locations, including ITO, Naraina, Rao Tula Ram Marg, Dwarka, Dhaula Kuan, Sarai Kale Khan, Mayapuri, among others.
Traffic police data released last month showed that despite the three-month-long nationwide lockdown last year, when vehicular movement was low, the number of issued fines saw a significant increase compared to previous years.
The traffic police issued 13,802,973 fines in 2020, as against 10,580,249 fines in 2019.
Delhi also saw a sharp drop in accident fatalities last year, when the Capital reported 1,163 fatal accidents, down from 1,433 in 2019.
Traffic officials explained that last year the department also made progress in digitally serving notices of violations to offenders. The department, officials said, has been working towards sending more and more challan notices through SMS.
“By making linkage of mobile numbers mandatory while registering of vehicles, we have been able to send over 60% of the total challan notices via sms. Till 2019, this figure was only around 49%. Since people are getting notices on their phones, the challan payments have also gone up. The risk of notices getting lost in mail has been eradicated,” a senior traffic officials said.
