In a bid to use technology to act against those violating traffic rules, the Union Road Transport Ministry on Thursday issued a notification amending the Central Motor Vehicles Rule 1989 for what it called “Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement of Road Safety.” As the name suggests, under these rules, “electronic enforcement devices” will be used for issuing challans.
The rules specify the detailed provisions for placement of electronic enforcement devices (speed camera, CCTV, speed gun, body wearable camera, dashboard camera, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) etc.
In the notification, the ministry has asked the State Governments to ensure that electronic enforcement devices are placed at high-risk and high-density corridors on the National Highways and state highways and at critical junctions at least in major cities with more than one million population and also the 132 cities specified by the ministry.
The electronic enforcement device shall be placed in such a manner so as not to cause any obstruction, line-of-sight issues or interruption in traffic flow, the notification said. The footage from an electronic enforcement device having electronic stamp for location, date and time can be used to issue challans against offences such as not driving within the prescribed speed limit; stopping or parking vehicle at an unauthorised location; not undertaking safety measures for drivers and pillion riders; and not wearing protective headgear or helmet and other offences, including jumping red lights, the ministry said. The States enforcement agencies will have to send traffic violation notice to the offender within 15 days of the offence committed, and the electronic record should be stored till the disposal of challan, according to new rules notified by the transport ministry.
The ministry also said that all challans issued under Rule 167 in electronic form, using auto-generation of challan through the electronic monitoring and enforcement system, shall be accompanied by information like clear photographic evidence highlighting the offence, the licence plate of the vehicle, date, time and place of the offence and notice specifying the provisions that have been violated.
“State Governments shall ensure that such devices are placed at high-risk / high-density corridors on National Highways, State Highways, and at critical junctions, at least in major cities with more than 1 million population, including 132 cities mentioned in the notification,” the ministry said further. It also said the electronic enforcement device should be placed in such a manner so as not to cause any obstruction, line-of-sight issues or interruption in traffic flow.
The footage can also be used to issue challan for jumping a red light, violating a stop sign, using handheld communications devices while driving, passing or overtaking other vehicles in a manner contrary to law, and other traffic violations.