Five more traffic stations in city, new tech to aid police

DH illustration

Bengaluru will soon get five new traffic police stations at Bellandur, Mahadevapura, Hennur, Thalaghattapura and Byadarahalli.

Dr M A Saleem, Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said on Thursday that the state government had accepted the proposal to open the new traffic police stations.

He was speaking at the launch of the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS).

Saleem said the ITMS was the second phase of the automatic challan system. “We were doing it manually but there won’t be any human interference from now. It is the most transparent system,” he added.

He said the ITMS would be gradually expanded to all traffic junctions.

While the traffic police expect to record up to 60,000 violations a month, up from the current 23,000, Saleem said awareness would be created among the public to bring down the number to 15,000-16,000 a month.

Vehicle users often complain about how traffic police lurk behind trees and blind spots and demand bribes in the name of violations. Many have also said that the challan system was riddled with errors.

Speaking to reporters at the event, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai spoke about his vision to strengthen the traffic police at all levels.

“We are making use of technology. The ITMS is just one part of the technology we are using to weed out corruption and harassment. We are also synchronising traffic signals,” he said.

Bommai added that he asked for decongesting junctions with high traffic density and that the police will focus on regulating vehicular
movement.

The 250 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and 80 Red Light Violation Detection (RLVD) cameras deployed under the ITMS were manufactured by Matrix Security and Surveillance Pvt Ltd, a private company. The software was developed by Videonetics Technology Private Limited. Both companies have been given five-year contracts.

Bommai also inaugurated the new office of the deputy commissioner of police (East) on Broadway Road, Shivajinagar. The office was earlier located in Halasuru. Besides, a new building housing the offices of the assistant commissioner of police (Seshadripuram subdivision) and High Grounds law & order and traffic police stations was also inaugurated on Millers Road in Vasanthnagar.