There is a technological revolution underway in making traffic safer in Bengaluru. Visibly, most motorists appear to be unaware of it. That is apparent by the way they continue driving by violating traffic rules left, right and centre, while the traffic police’s new approach to road safety management is to be increasingly invisible and making enforcement as contact-less as possible, driven by technology.
Observe the typical motorist behaviour in Bengaluru. While stopping at a red signal, the motorists — especially two-wheeler riders — look for the presence of traffic police personnel. When convinced that there is none around to “catch them”, they zoom off despite the red signal.
What they do not realise is that the traffic police’s contact-less enforcement has already captured the violation, a penalty registered and a fine listed against the owner of the vehicle. The data is relayed to the command centre, from where the violation and the penalty finds mention on the Bangalore Traffic Police website which takes one to the Karnatakaone.gov.in website.
The oblivious violator may have carried on to proudly boast in front of friends about how he or she made a mickey out of the traffic police by jumping a signal. These are cases of “Ignorance is bliss”, until they open that website to learn that they have been booked through a contact-less system. But most don’t.
There have been cases where multiple violations have piled up fines amounting to Rs 70,000 upwards. Imagine the shock of the violator at that point to realise the pending penalties and the amount that needs to be parted with. It can be painful.
Mind you, the system is only getting tighter, as more will be booked in the months to come. There are about 2.3 lakh cameras across Bengaluru for surveillance, and the number is planned to touch five lakh in eight months.
But through all this, the Bengaluru motorist continues to remain ignorant about the adoption of high technology by the Bangalore Traffic police.
Awareness needs to be spread among the people. There are two ways to go about it: one, through media and publicity; and two, by spreading the experiences of violators booked through hi-tech means of the traffic police, and who pay the fines. Despite the media spreading awareness about the tech advances by the traffic police, motorists continue to display ignorance. It is obvious by their behaviour.
That leaves the second way as the only viable option. But for that to happen, the violators need to instantly know they have been fined. Unfortunately, they don’t.
While the infusion of high technology is a boon for enforcement, letting people know that it is functioning properly and accurately can be a significant contributor to deter traffic violations. For instance, when a traffic violation is committed, the violator should receive an SMS on the mobile, and the fine it involves as a penalty. That doesn’t happen. Let the violator know they have not escaped the Big Brother-like surveillance the traffic police possess now.
Deterrence has to take place in the mind. But it can never happen in an ignorant mind. Supplementing that, fines need to be steeper, so that the deterrence is stronger.
However, while technology is aiding in increasing surveillance, there have also been cases with wrong motorists getting penalized — probably due to blurred camera images or fake vehicle registration plates being used. In some cases, vehicle owners who have not used the vehicle at all on the day of violation have been booked. High technology needs to be complemented by accuracy to ensure that innocent motorists do not get fined.
Probably, that will be corrected when the High-Security Registration Plates (HSRP) come in a big way. Its hologram and unique identification code will enable the traffic police to easily track and identify the authenticity of the vehicles as the verification process would prevent usage of fake number plates.
The technology unravelling in Bengaluru will inevitably be replicated in other cities of the state as they grow. So, it’s time to perfect it here to achieve accuracy. Deterrence will build up only when motorists realise that technology is accurate and just and that they cannot escape the penalties for violation.
Nirad Mudur
Deputy Resident Editor, Karnataka
niradgmudur@newindianexpress.com