CHENNAI: The home transport department has made it mandatory to ensure that electronic devices used for detecting traffic offences are calibrated and certified by a designated authority every year, according to the gazette notification dated April 26. It also ordered the installation of electronic devices to monitor the speed of vehicles in Chennai, Madurai, Thoothukudi and Tiruchy.
The electronic enforcement devices include speed cameras, CCTV, speed guns, body wearable cameras, dashboard cameras, automatic number plate recognition, weigh-in machines and others. The order stated that body wearable cameras may be worn by the police officer, transport officials or any other official authorized by the state government and such officers should inform the offender he or she is being recorded by the body camera.
Similarly, dashboard cameras may be used for enforcing traffic rules and officers should notify the offender that he/she is being recorded, added the notification. To this effect, the state government amended the TN motor vehicles rules 1989.
The notification stated that the government should ensure that appropriate electronic enforcement devices are placed at high-risk and high-density corridors on national highways and state highways and at critical junctions at least in major cities with more than ten lakh population. Under this scheme, Chennai, Madurai, Thoothukudi and Tiruchy will be covered.
The department also said footage from an electronic enforcement device having an electronic stamp for location, date and time can be used to issue challan for 12 traffic offences including speeding, unauthorised parking, not wearing helmets, overloading, and jumping signals.