TNN
BANGALORE, Aug 10: If you've been crossing the stop line at traffic signals, watch out. For traffic police have deployed surveillance cameras at about 40 junctions to catch offenders in the act.
In this pedestrian-friendly move, traffic police have taken up strict enforcement of an existing law - violation of zebra crossing - by penalizing violators who cross the stop line. This is a line at which vehicles must stop 1 metre before the zebra crossing at signals. According to the Motor Vehicles Act, people who violate the rule can be penalized, but it was rarely enforced. Now, a fine of Rs 100 will be slapped against stop-line violators.
"Motorists have utter disregard for pedestrians in the city. They occupy the zebra crossing, unmindful of pedestrians even when the red light is on. As a result, pedestrians cross the road when vehicles are almost moving, which is dangerous. Hence, we have recently started penalizing violators to give pedestrians the right of way," Additional Commissioner of Police (traffic & security), Praveen Sood told Sunday Times of India .
The police have started painting roads with markings, lanes, zebra crossings, no-stop areas, and will enforce the rule on a pilot basis on Cubbon Road. "Stop-line violators at the signal will be penalized by either traffic officials present at the spot or through our surveillance system," Sood added.
Under B-TRAC, traffic police have already installed 40 surveillance cameras at as many junctions. These junctions have autodome modular surveillance cameras that can be accessed at the Traffic Management Centre (TMC) at the Ashok Nagar station.
The traffic police can have a 360-degree view of junctions and easily spot violators. The number is noted down; at the end of the day, all data containing vehicle numbers will be transferred to the Automation Centre where the police have the vehicle registration database. A challan, generated after the erring vehicle owner is identified, is mailed to his address.
Sood said the department plans to adopt the Delhi model of audio systems at junctions through which policemen can advise or caution commuters. Under the B-TRAC project, the police have completed painting 60,000 sq metres of road space; another 50,000 sq metres painting will be done in the next three months.