The Hindu : Speed-radar guns to check rash driving

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Speed-radar guns to check rash driving

By S.Shivakumar

Chennai. Oct. 15. Adding to the regime of intensive vehicle checks, the traffic police are now using speed-radar guns to enforce speed limits. The speed of vehicles is recorded on the equipment from a distance and the vehicles are signalled to stop. The drivers are then shown their speed and fined Rs.400.

At present traffic police personnel are equipped with 11 speed-radar guns and they would get an additional five within a couple of weeks. The action initiated against speeding vehicles is part of an accident-prevention exercise by the city traffic police.

The police are also contemplating making 40 km per hour a uniform speed throughout the city. Though vehicles move bumper-to-bumper at most areas throughout the day, police feel this gives the urge for drivers to overspeed on `empty stretches' especially from signals.

The areas, which are prone to accidents, have been identified for patrolling by police personnel armed with speed-radar guns.

"The police have to take steps for controlling the huge volume of traffic through effective enforcement. However, only those speeding well above the limit are penalised and borderline cases are not stopped. Areas are chosen at random for checks. Police personnel on two interceptor vehicles also monitor the flow of traffic", the JCP (Traffic), GUG Sastry, said.

Technology-aided solutions are bound to have an impact on the enforcement and serve as a deterrent to erring motorists. Monitoring of traffic using CCTV network and digital cameras are also part of the traffic enforcement campaign in the near future, Mr. Sastry adds.

However, motorists on Anna Salai who were stopped for speeding on Tuesday were witness to brazen speeding by State Government Transport Corporation and MTC drivers. Police personnel preferred to remain silent when some of these buses passed by at great speed.

Mr. Sastry explains "the timings for covering a route has not been revised since 1986 for MTC buses. These vehicles that transport a larger number of passengers should be given preference on city roads. However, we are taking up the problems posed by MTC drivers with the management for further action".

With the availability of a separate lane for buses, there was no obstacle to their movement and they could keep within the legal speed limit, motorists pointed out. Moreover, the anomalous enforcement during off-peak hours leaves motorists abiding by rules a confused lot. After 9.30 p.m., though the signals work, they are not obeyed by buses, tourist and call taxis, lorries and autorickshaws, endangering those who choose to stop at a red light, especially two-wheeler riders.

Though signals are switched off at 11 p.m. constables leave their posts around 10 p.m.

"When the accent is on technology-aided policing, why is the basic technology of traffic lights not being enforced? In many places, the lights simply do not work, have fused bulbs and the promises of LED based traffic lights made more than a year ago remains on paper," a motorist points out.

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