Mumbai traffic cops to shoot violators with camera phones, camcorders

200 policemen armed with cameras will record drunk and reckless drivers who slip through their net and send them challans by post

Drivers who violate traffic rules but manage to evade the police on New Year’s Eve may not go scot-free, thanks to a new initiative by the traffic police. Constables with camera phones and camcorders will be posted at major junctions to capture the licence plates of reckless drivers who evade nakabandis on December 31. Based on the recorded footage, violators will receive challans by post within days.

All of the city’s 3,500 traffic cops will be on duty on December 31 and 200 of them will be armed with still cameras and camcorders.

The traffic police will review the recorded footage and identify the offending vehicles. They will then prepare a list of violators and send them challans by post, said an official.

The department has also acquired 40 more breathalysers – in addition to the 90 in use now – to be better prepared to deal with drunk drivers on New Year’s Eve.

The traffic police kicked off its usual year-year drink-driving campaign five days ago. Milind Bharambe, joint commissioner of police, traffic, said, “We have already started the special drive. It will intensify we approach December 31. The traffic police will man at least 90 locations and take action against violators.”

Apart from the 200 ‘shooters’, the majority traffic policemen will be on nakabandi duty with the city police at the 90 chosen locations.

They will focus on curbing drunk and reckless driving to minimise accidents on New Year’s Eve, said an official from the traffic police department.