Instead of cops, now cameras will catch speed demons on Eastern Freeway

The Eastern Freeway, connecting Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) to the Eastern Express Highway at Ghatkopar, has given a free hand to motorists for speeding, since it was opened in May 2013. In order to curb traffic violations, authorities have decided to install Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) CCTVs that will take photos of speeding vehicles.

The ANPR-installed CCTVs will capture licence plate of drivers flouting traffic rules on the Eastern Freeway. Representation pic

Traffic department claims that many vehicles ply at 80-100 kmph, even though the permitted speed is 60 kmph. Therefore, they had proposed installing six ANPRs, at the cost of R6 lakh each, on different locations of the 16.4-km freeway. "The six ANPRs will be installed on the Eastern Freeway in the next 15 days," informed Quaiser Khalid, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic).

Although the exact location has not been decided yet, it is likely that the CCTVs will be placed near Wadala, where the road is mostly straight, and motorists tend to speed. According to traffic officials, these ANPR cameras will capture vehicles that are running faster than 60kmph, drivers not wearing seatbelts or talking on the phone, vehicles changing lanes, and other traffic offences.

This information will be monitored at the traffic control room. The cameras will capture the vehicle number, face of the driver and the time when the motorist was caught breaching traffic rules. The details would then be taken from the Regional Transport Office and a challan would be sent to them. Traffic officials said that the fines would be decided depending on the nature of offence.