AI cameras to impose fines based on 2014 speed limit as opposed to Centre's 2018 notification

Even as artificial intelligence (AI) cameras of the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) are set to impose fines from Thursday, a technical problem has arisen on the issue of speed limit.

Although the Union Ministry of Road Transport had issued a notification in 2018 increasing the speed limit for vehicles on National Highways, the fact that the AI cameras will impose fines based on the circular issued by the State government in 2014 may lead to legal problems.

Many individuals will end up paying the fine for no fault of theirs. The State has not issued any notification so far to supersede the Centre’s notification and increase the speed limits.

The Motor Vehicles Department has set up 726 artificial intelligence cameras on roads, including National and State Highways. In addition to these cameras, other surveillance cameras established by the Motor Vehicles Department on National and State Highways to book overspeeding vehicles, also impose fines based on the State government order titled GPO 20/2014. According to this, the maximum speed of cars on four-lane roads is 90 kmph. However, according to the Centre’s notification, 100 kmph is the speed limit on four-lane highways. While two wheelers are allowed to go at 80 kmph on four-lane highways according to the Centre’s circular, the State government order fixes the speed limit at 70 kmph. The maximum speed limit for goods vehicles is 80 kmph and 65 kmph in the Centra and State orders respectively.

No steps were adopted to clear the confusion even as vehicle owners are troubled to pay fines for crossing the speed limit. Even though it was decided to put up digital signage boards about speed limits on highways, fines will be imposed before its implemented. 

Fines debited from vehicle owner’s account

Efforts are also on to link all surveillance cameras, including AI cameras set up by MVD, with FASTag and the banking system.

Kerala has demanded modifications in the Vaahan software for the purpose. The State Transport Department has requested National Informatics Centre (NIC) to enable charging of fine from the bank account of the vehicle owner through FASTag.

In order to achieve this, guidelines will be issued to seed the software with bank details at the time of registration of vehicle and obtaining driving licence.