
KOLLAM: At a time when the state government is mandating dashboard cameras for vehicles used in driving schools, the motor vehicles department (MVD) has failed to comply with a 2021 Union government directive to install dashboard and body-worn cameras in its vehicles. Of the 200 vehicles operated by the department statewide, only less than 100 are equipped with cameras, going by RTI documents obtained by TNIE.
The reply to a query shows that the department purchased 100 dashboard cameras in 2023, and 86 were distributed to 14 Enforcement RTOs and the Transport Commissionerate.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had mandated the installation of dashboard and body-worn cameras under Rule 167A of the Motor Vehicles Act in August 2021. However, the MVD began implementing the directive only in 2023.
After the initial phase, the department neither proceeded with installing additional cameras nor issued tenders for further procurement. The RTO documents also reveal that the project was abandoned after testing the functionality of the body-worn cameras.
“The Thiruvananthapuram Enforcement RTO had been instructed to examine the body-worn camera received under the tender and submit a report on its functionality. The Thiruvananthapuram Enforcement RTO examined it and submitted a report. The department decided to abandon this project on the basis of the report pointing out several defects in the device,” the RTO document further reads.
The 2021 directive from the Union ministry aimed to enhance road safety and discipline by equipping state motor vehicle departments with electronic enforcement devices. These include speed cameras, closed-circuit television cameras, speed guns, body-worn cameras, dashboard cameras, automatic number plate recognition systems (ANPR), and weigh-in-motion machines. Dashboard cameras, in particular, record activity inside and in front of the vehicle, making them effective in preventing road crimes and documenting violations.
Responding to a query in that regard, a senior MVD official says steps are being taken to revive the initiative. “Currently, there’s no work to install dashboard cameras in vehicles. Also, we have issued the dashboard cameras to be fitted in our vehicles. But soon, a new tender will be called and the installation of dashboard and body-worn cameras will commence,” the official says.