Thiruvananthapuram: Motorists, beware! Kerala Transport Department’s 726 Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled cameras will be watching you drive on the State roads from April 20. The fully automated traffic enforcement system is being rolled out to avoid flagging down vehicles for inspection.
The cameras will strictly monitor traffic rule violations. A hefty amount will be appropriated from erring motorists as a penalty. The police, excise, motor vehicle, and GST departments will share the amount collected.
The AI-enabled cameras will have three functions: surveillance, evidence and capture.
The phases of AI surveillance:
1. It will record the movement of vehicles using its video-scanning facility.
2. The visuals will be stored at the data bank set up at Keltron’s Manvila unit in Thiruvananthapuram.
3. The footage will be listed, and forwarded to district-level control rooms.
4. The visuals will then be forwarded to the national database, and an e-challan will be generated.
5. The registered vehicle owner will get a message on his/her phone within six hours of traffic violation.
The AI cameras were manufactured at Keltron’s Communication Unit at Manvila in Thiruvananthapuram. Keltron will be responsible for servicing and maintaining the cameras for the next five years.
Know where to park
Unauthorised parking will invite legal action, including a visit to the court. Henceforth, motorists will not be able to wriggle out of the situation — arising out of unauthorised parking — by paying a specific amount as a fine.
The court will consider cases registered for traffic violations. The judicial magistrate will decide the punishment.
Violations and penalties:
Use of mobile phone while driving: Rs 2,000
Overspeeding: Rs 1,500
Driving/riding without fastening seat belts or wearing helmets: Rs 500
Driving/riding without rear-view mirrors: Rs 200
Triple riding: Rs 2,000
Speed matters
Maximum speed limit on National Highways: 90 kmph
Slow-moving vehicles (moving below 90 kmph) should take the left-most lane. This is applicable to vehicles with low engine capacity, like scooters. The court will consider cases of lane violations.
Heavy and other vehicles with specific speed limits (slow moving) should also keep left. They should not move on the right-most lane.
Heavy vehicles can use the right hand-side lane while overtaking.
Emergency vehicles
The cameras will also watch out for motorists blocking the way of emergency vehicles such as ambulances, and fire and rescue department automobiles.
Two-wheelers
Triple-riding (overloading), and modification of vehicles will invite cases. The noise level, too, will be recorded. The cameras will soon be updated with noise recording software.
Penalty for breaching lane discipline
The white and yellow markings (lines) on roads provide guidance for disciplined and safe driving. Violation of the rules mandated by the markings — deliberately or due to ignorance — too, will invite a penalty.
Here are the major markings and the traffic norms they denote:
Broken centre white-line marking: The lane could be changed with caution.
Continuous (unbroken) white line: Restrictions on changing lane
Continuous yellow line: No overtaking, no crossing of the marking.
Diagonal marking: Median ahead.
Parallel, continuous yellow lines: Stern caution against overtaking, crossing the line or taking an U-turn.
Continuous and broken parallel white lines: Vehicles on the lane with broken lines can overtake. Those moving in the opposite direction should not overtake. They should stick to the lane.
Continuous white line on the shoulder marks the road’s border.
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