Slow down on ECR, speed detection system may be in place by Jan-end

Will Book Those Driving Over 80kmph

---

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

12.01.2022

Chennai: You may want to reconsider the next time you think of stepping on the gas while on East Coast Road. Starting this month, a speed detection system would book people who drive faster than 80kmph on the stretch.

Every year, at least 50 accidents are reported on ECR and 90% of these are due to according to speeding, official data. Despite police patrols, traffic violations continue unabated. To put an end to such violations and reduce road accidents, the Tamil Nadu government in February 2020 began installing an advanced traffic management project along the 33km stretch between Akkarai and Mahabalipuram on ECR.

The project, set up at ₹8. 6 crore, has three components — Vehicle-Activated Speed Signs (VASS), an Automatic Speed Enforcement System (ASES) and a Video Incident Detection System (VIDS).

A pole-mounted VASS, installed by the road or on the central median, can measure the speed of the approaching vehicle and display it on a screen. Every time a driver exceeds the speed limit, the VASS displays the speed in red.

As a follow-up measure, HD cameras are installed near these display boards to automatically detect these speeding vehicles. The ASES will transfer the vehicle (registration number) details to the local police, who will issue a traffic challan in the name of the vehicle owner, said a Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project (TNRSP) official.

Though all the infrastructure was ready, the project remained a non-starter. The control and command centre at Uthandi toll plaza was kept locked for most part of the day. However, a trial run of the project began recently.

“Discussions are going on with other government agencies like National Informatics Centre (NIC), which maintains the database for all registered vehicles in the country. Before January-end, the project and recorded data will be handed over to police,” the TNRSP official added.

While ECR residents have welcomed the project, they complained that basic road safety initiatives have been kept pending. B Sricharan of Kanathur pointed out that some portions are poorly-lit and have no road signs warning motorists about curves or speed breakers ahead. “This is why even when you travel at 50kmph, it is still dangerous on ECR,” he said.