n a proactive measure aimed at curbing accidents and bolstering road safety, authorities have installed sixty cameras along the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway to monitor vehicle speeds. These sophisticated cameras, equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology, have been strategically positioned to identify vehicles surpassing speed limits and issue traffic challans automatically.
Advanced Surveillance Infrastructure
The traffic and safety wing of the Karnataka police spearheaded the installation of forty-eight ANPR cameras, strategically positioned at six locations in each direction along the expressway. Additionally, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) augmented the surveillance infrastructure by installing video cameras at three additional sites, amplifying the monitoring capabilities along the thoroughfare.
Efficient Speed Detection Mechanism
Elaborating on the functionality of the cameras, a traffic official elucidated that the system calculates the time taken for a vehicle to traverse between two designated points on the expressway. If the duration falls below the prescribed limits, indicative of high-speed travel, an automatic traffic challan is generated. With the maximum speed limit on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway capped at 100 kmph, drivers are now mandated to adhere to this threshold to evade penalties.
Addressing Safety Imperatives
The implementation of this initiative underscores a concerted effort to mitigate the escalating incidents of accidents and traffic violations on South India’s inaugural expressway. Instances of state-run KSRTC buses flouting traffic norms by traveling in the wrong direction have further accentuated the imperative for enhanced safety measures along the thoroughfare.
Regulatory Oversight and Infrastructure Development
In response to mounting safety concerns, the NHAI dispatched an expert committee in July of the preceding year to conduct a comprehensive review of the expressway’s safety protocols and infrastructure. The 119-kilometer expressway, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March the same year, represents a significant infrastructural milestone, constructed at a cost of Rs. 8,408 crore. Comprising a greenfield segment spanning 52 kilometers, the expressway features five bypasses meticulously designed to alleviate traffic congestion. The project encompasses an array of overpasses, underpasses, bypasses, and bridges, facilitating seamless connectivity with six lanes and supplementary two-lane service roads on either side.
The deployment of speed detection cameras along the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway heralds a proactive stride toward reinforcing road safety measures and curbing instances of speeding. With a robust surveillance infrastructure in place, coupled with stringent penalties for violators, authorities aim to foster a culture of responsible driving, ensuring safer journeys for commuters traversing South India’s burgeoning expressway network.
