Traffic police to rely on cams to monitor zig-zag driving on e-way

Gurugram: The Gurugram traffic police is planning to take the help of surveillance cameras on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway to catch traffic violators, said officials on Sunday.

DCP (traffic) Ravinder Singh Tomar said that Gurugram traffic police last week held a meeting with the officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and asked them to install surveillance cameras at all key points on the expressway so that traffic violations such as zig-zag driving and lane violations can be monitored.

Tomar said that the move is part of the traffic police’s ongoing drive, which has been in effect since September 9 last year, to check rampant violations by heavy vehicles on the National Highway (NH-48).

Till February 9, the traffic police had issued challans on 11,568 heavy vehicles for these violations, each of which carried a fine of ₹5,000.

Tomar said that with the use of the surveillance cameras, such violations committed by drivers of cars, three-wheelers and two-wheelers will also be monitored and an automatic e-challan will be sent to the registered owner of the vehicle.

“Due to the volume of traffic on the expressway, traffic police cannot manually challan the drivers of cars, three-wheelers or two-wheelers as stationary vehicles will trigger a massive jam, and in addition, we simply don’t have the manpower to check all vehicles. Hence, we have directed the NHAI to install surveillance cameras through which we can monitor traffic violations,” said Tomar.

According to the traffic police, heavy vehicles can ply on the left-most lane of the carriageway while all other vehicles can use the remaining lanes on the national highway. Zig-zag driving is essentially vehicles veering from one lane to the other in quick time.

“After analysing data of accidents, as well as upon feedback from traffic marshalls who are on ground, we realised that zig-zag driving and non-adherence to lane-driving were among the primary reasons behind accidents as well as traffic congestion on the NH-48. To put a check on these violations, we launched the drive in September last year. We are also planning to launch a similar drive on the Dwarka Expressway, Southern Peripheral Road and Gurgaon-Faridabad Road from next month,” said Tomar.

As per the 2019 comprehensive mobility plan of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), nearly 300,000 vehicles cross the Sirhaul toll plaza at the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on a daily basis.

“A feasibility study is underway to identify the best technical solutions for the project. Cameras for monitoring zig-zag driving and lane violations have never been implemented in India. A comprehensive plan needs to be first prepared for it and then the best possible mechanism needs to be finalised. Subsequently, the plan will be sent to the NHAI headquarters in Delhi. Once approval is given, it will be implemented on ground,” said Nirman Jambulkar, NHAI project director.

Both traffic police and NHAI officials said that they are expecting the cameras to be installed by August.

“Many commuters are not exactly aware about the correct lanes to drive on and also indulge in zig-zag driving. Till the time the surveillance cameras are installed, the traffic police should put up signages across the highway and mark the lane changing and no-lane changing zones and also simultaneously carry out awareness drives,” said Sewa Ram, an urban transport design expert and faculty member at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi.