AI-enabled cams to catch speed demons

The Traffic Police and BMC will soon deploy AI-enabled cameras that can capture the number plates of vehicles travelling at speeds of over 300 kmph and automatically detect multiple traffic violations.

The new cameras will be capable of identifying offences such as speeding, jumping traffic signals, wrong-side driving, riding without helmets and triple-seat riding. The system will identify offending vehicles through their registration numbers and enable the automatic generation of e-challans against their owners, reducing the need for manual monitoring by traffic personnel.

The high-speed number plate recognition feature is expected to address a major limitation of Mumbai’s existing CCTV network, particularly along the Coastal Road, where cameras have been unable to capture registration numbers of vehicles travelling at high speeds.

The problem came into focus after a BMW crash near Worli killed three people and left another critically injured. CCTV footage showed the car travelling at high speed before crashing through a barrier and plunging from the elevated stretch near Lotus Jetty. The incident raised questions about speeding and gaps in traffic enforcement on the Coastal Road.