Thiruvananthapuram traffic cameras are nearing operational enforcement, with 300 devices installed at 34 Intelligent Traffic Management System junctions entering the final stage of integration with the Parivahan platform. The system will require approval from the Motor Vehicles Department before police can use camera-generated data to issue e-challans.
The network, installed under the Smart City Mission, includes 234 automatic number plate recognition cameras and 46 red light violation detection cameras. The devices are intended to identify speeding, red-light violations, riding without helmets, failure to wear seatbelts and mobile phone use while driving.
A system integration agency appointed under the Smart City Mission is conducting trial demonstrations to test the cameras and their connection with Parivahan. The police control room under the assistant commissioner of police is handling the system from the police side. An ACP associated with the project said the trial integration was in its final stage, but added that permission from the MVD would be required before final implementation.
Once the system is cleared, data generated by the cameras is expected to be used for traffic enforcement and processing e-challans. However, the procedure for verifying violations before a notice is issued has not yet been finalised. Police sources said officials would discuss whether every violation detected by the system should be manually verified before an e-challan is processed.
A meeting at the city police commissioner’s office has been scheduled for Wednesday to discuss implementation arrangements. The meeting is expected to consider how detected violations will be checked, processed and converted into enforcement action as the project moves from technical trials to regular operations.
The transition will also be examined by an expert committee comprising representatives from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum, the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, Kerala IT Mission and the police. The committee is expected to assess the technical performance of the cameras, the reliability of the data they generate and their effectiveness in detecting violations.
The Smart City Mission’s system integration agency is continuing demonstrations before the system is handed over for enforcement. According to sources, the camera network could begin enforcement by the end of this month or next month, subject to the remaining approvals and the finalisation of operational procedures.
