The Chennai Police have proposed to the government to enhance the penalty for traffic violations, Commissioner of Police T. Rajendran said on Friday.
Addressing presspersons, he said traffic penalty in Tamil Nadu was the lowest in the country compared to other States. “We are proposing to have a minimum of Rs.100 as penalty. Besides a separate budget for traffic, a part of the total money collected as fine is being sought to meet expenses related to traffic management.”
Mr. Rajendran said the number of fatal accidents had come down marginally compared to the previous year. “The fall in the number of accidents might look small…but this was made possible even as 2 lakh more vehicles added up to the same road space in the last one year,” he said.
Pointing out that 232 pedestrians and 215 motorcycle riders/pillion riders lost their lives in accidents, he said a majority of the accidents took place on 100 Feet Road, ECR and Rajiv Gandhi Salai. Speed radar guns were installed on ECR and Rajiv Gandhi Salai to check over-speeding.
Mr. Rajendran said the Chennai Traffic Police were now equipped with nine new vehicles mounted with speed-dome cameras for traffic management and other security requirements. Also, 16 vehicles fitted with multi-gas analysers to check emission parameters of vehicles would be put to use soon.
Unveiling a traffic modernisation plan, Additional Commissioner of Police M. Shakeel Akhter said auditory signals were being installed at nine important traffic junctions for the benefit of physically challenged persons. CCTV network would be established at 40 junctions apart from the ‘Intelligence Traffic System’ at 26 junctions in and around the new Secretariat premises.
A system of ‘e-challan’ for enforcement of spot fine would be introduced. Systems do detect violation of speed limits, red-line and stop-line were in the making, he said and added that Rs.8.83 crore was collected as penalty for traffic violations this year (up to November).
Mr. Rajendran presented the ‘Sree Kumara Menon’ awards to those selected among traffic police, autorickshaw drivers, Metropolitan Transport Corporation drivers and Road Safety Patrol volunteers.
