The State government is poised to introduce autonomous traffic enforcement technologies to reduce roadway fatalities.
Under the aegis of Keltron, the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) is expanding the use of Artificial Intelligence driven automated number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to enforce speed limits and detect traffic violations across Kerala in real time.
Three-dimensional doppler vehicle tracking radars and redlight violation detection systems (RLVDS) will reinforce the ANPRs. Keltron has already installed 726 such systems across Kerala. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is scheduled to roll out the scheme soon.
However, only four MVD cameras cover National Highways, which report the highest number of rash driving and speed lane violation accidents.
Parallelly, the State police and Keltron are working on an integrated digital enforcement system to compensate for the lacuna.
The police surveillance system boasts 870 AI-powered cameras that would cover at least 200 accident-prone national highway stretches. The system is likely be operational by mid-2023.
The dual traffic enforcement systems would blanket accident-prone stretches, with a sharp focus on State highways, mofussil roads, suburban localities, and townships.
The twin expansive field surveillance grid will be wirelessly linked via 5G SIM to District MVD Control Rooms (DECR) and the State Central Control Room at the Transport Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram.
The proposed police surveillance system follows a similar pattern. District traffic police control rooms would link themselves via a 5G link to the State Traffic Centre headquartered at an upcoming six-storey complex near Nandavanam Police Camp in Thiruvananthapuram.
The law enforcement's "lidless eyes" will blitz road safety violators with traffic tickets for offences such as running red lights, driving over the legal speed limit, left-side overtaking, non-compliance with mandatory seat belt and helmet norm, one-way violations, use of mobile phone while driving, illegal and non-standard number plates, unauthorised and haphazard parking, riding triple on two-wheelers, causing traffic snarls and overloading.
The dual systems will inform the vehicle owner of the infraction via courier, e-mail and mobile phone message within 24 hours. The ticket will incorporate photographic proof, the time and the location of the violation.
Notably, the DECRs will automatically check whether the vehicle captured on camera has valid insurance and pollution certificate. The system will also flag the vehicle's history and pending fines, if any.
