THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The much-vaunted ‘Safe Kerala’ initiative has hit a wall, with implementing agency Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (Keltron) suspending its operation of the AI-enabled automated traffic enforcement system over massive dues.
Processing of challans for violations detected on AI traffic cameras has been suspended for the last two weeks, pending a decision on the clearing of arrears amounting to Rs 60 crore.
The project, launched on June 5, 2023, to curb road accidents and minimise physical traffic enforcement through the use of technology, has ground to a halt, with the state government’s service payments to Keltron having ceased over a year and a half ago.
Despite facing similar bottlenecks earlier, officials in the know said the company has been stretched to the limit this time, with no recourse to continue operations without clearing dues.
The system was controversial right from its inception, with the-then opposition UDF raising serious allegations of corruption and procedural lapses in awarding the contract. Despite the political storm, implementation ensued.
‘Traffic cameras still recording violations’
Under the agreement, Keltron, which invested approximately Rs 165 crore, was to receive Rs 1.6 crore every quarter to service the project. But, the government stopped disbursing funds after February 2025. With September marking the seventh quarter of default, the debt has ballooned past Rs 60 crore.
Faced with a severe financial crunch, Keltron withdrew 140 of its personnel deployed across 14 district-level control rooms, leaving the fate of temporary staff in limbo.
The chief contractor SRIT India Pvt Ltd, the Bengaluru-based firm engaged by Keltron to install and maintain 726 cameras — including 675 AI units — has now approached court seeking legal remedy for liabilities.
Since its launch, the network has detected over 1.5 crore traffic violations and issued challans for Rs 326 crore. Despite the operational shutdown at the control-room level, motor vehicles department (MVD) officials clarified that the cameras remain operational. “The cameras are still recording violations on the ground. Once the financial and administrative issues are resolved, bulk challans will be generated and issued,” an MVD official noted.
Meanwhile, senior transport department officials said the matter has been taken up at the highest level of government, with efforts currently under way to clear a portion of the arrears and resume operations at the earliest.
