Published Oct 11, 2023 | 12:44 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 11, 2023 | 12:44 PM
Traffic violators fined with the help of AI cameras in Kerala. (iStock)
Traffic violations and road accident deaths have come down since the installation of the artificial intelligence (AI) cameras in Kerala which have even caught vehicles of MPs and MLAs flouting the rules, state Transport Minister Antony Raju said on Tuesday, 10 October.
Raju said that prior to the installation of AI cameras, there were more than 4.5 lakh traffic violations per day in the state and the same has come down now to around 44,000 per day.
“The number of traffic violations caught by the AI cameras between 5 June to 30 September was 62,67,353,” he said.
Of these, the most violations were of not wearing helmets by riders and pillion-riders and not wearing seat belts by vehicle drivers and front seat passengers.
The deaths due to road accidents were 1,320 between June 2022 to September 2022 and the same dropped to 1,007 during the same period this year after installation of the AI cameras, he said while speaking to reporters here.
The minister said that recently the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly VD Satheesan had alleged that figures of traffic violations, road accidents and deaths given to the court and those submitted in the Assembly were different.
Raju contended that the LoP’s claims were wrong and said the figures submitted before the court on 6 September were about traffic violations, road accidents and deaths till 5 September.
“The figures of the same submitted by me before the assembly on 12 September were the numbers up to 11 September and all these can be verified against the police records,” he said.
The minister demanded that the LoP withdraw his statement and apologise to him.
While giving details of the traffic violations, Raju said that not just the common folk, even VIP vehicles have been caught on AI cameras violating rules between June and September this year.
He said that 56 violations by vehicles of MPs and MLAs were caught on AI cameras between 5 June and 30 September this year.
Raju said that between 5 June and 30 September this year, challans for over ₹102 crore were prepared and of them fines of over ₹14 crore have been collected.
Another development he announced was the strict implementation, from 1 November onwards, of wearing seat belts by drivers and front seat passengers of all heavy vehicles in the state, including the buses of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).
Raju said that though it was necessary under the law for drivers and front-seat passengers of heavy vehicles to wear seat belts, the same has not been strictly enforced till now.
However, from 1 November, the situation would change and the rule would be strictly implemented and would also be applicable to heavy vehicles from other states that are running on Kerala roads, the minister said.
(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)
