Contents
The project, costing ₹8.25 crore, aims at bringing down accidents
Tenders have been called for the installation of high-end cameras with speed sensors and number plate detection system on the East Coast Road (ECR) from Akkarai to Mamallapuram, where accidents were a frequent occurence at one point in time. The project, costing ₹8.25 crore, aims to keep vehicle speed in check and reduce accidents.
The cameras, to be placed at four locations on either side of the 32-km stretch, will assess the speed of vehicles. If they are beyond the permissible limit, the camera will take pictures of the number plates and send them to the control room, which will email the speed challan to the vehicle owner, explained a source in the Tamil Nadu Road Sector Project, which is implementing the project with funding from the World Bank.
The road, which was made a four-lane facility recently, is a favourite among those who like to speed or drive high-end cars and bikes. “The road was widened and a median constructed to reduce accidents, and head-on collisions have come down in that stretch. However, accidents due to pedestrian and cattle crossings and vehicles getting on to the main carriageway from smaller roads do happen,” explained another official.
Decline in fatalities
In November 2017, there were a total of 10 accidents, while in the corresponding month in 2018, there were seven accidents, of which only one was fatal. Similarly, in December 2017, there were 11 accidents, including three fatal ones, in which five persons lost their lives. In December 2018, there were 10 accidents with no fatalities.
As part of the project, CCTV cameras would be installed in the entire stretch. “We expect the installations to commence sometime in August-September. The contractor should maintain it for two years and then the department would maintain it for another three years with the assistance of the contractor. We would also have LCD display units that would provide road information, including road works and accidents,” explained another official. Similar speed and number plate capture systems have been installed on Chennai – Tada GNT Road and Tiruttani-Tiruvallur Road.
[“source=thehindu”]
