AI cameras catch 66.41 lakh violations in a year; of Rs 428-cr e-challans only Rs 76 cr recovered as fine

Thiruvananthapuram: A year after the fully automated traffic enforcement system using AI cameras was introduced in the state, e-challans to the tune of Rs 428.4 crore were generated for rule violations. However, the government received only Rs 76.7 crore as fine, ie. 18 per cent of the actual dues, according to the reply furnished in the assembly by the state transport minister KB Ganesh Kumar.

According to the assembly document, till June 12, 2024, 66.41 lakh traffic violations were reported in the state since the AI cameras started functioning. Of these violations, e-challans were generated for 64.72 lakh violations. As per the agreement between the MVD and the Keltron, 25 lakh notices had to be sent in a year.

The Minister told the assembly that 25 lakh notices have been sent since June 5, 2023. Notifications of violations were sent as messages to the registered mobile numbers of violators for the remaining number of violations. Around 69,959 notices were sent via post, the Minister said.

The document notes that notices to the tune of Rs 171.42 crore were sent via post to the violators. Monthly collection records from AI camera-detected traffic violations show that the highest collection was recorded in November 2023; Rs 9.41 crore. In June 2024, an amount of Rs 4.15 crore was received as fine.

Keltron had pitched to the state government in the techno commercial proposal that the state government could generate an income of Rs 424 crores in five years through the fines collected using a fully automated traffic enforcement system, according to the note prepared by MVD for the cabinet approval. According to Keltron, even if an amount of Rs 236 crore is given to the vendor, the state government could still pocket an additional amount of Rs 188 crore in five years.