Considering that majority of mishaps on Mumbai-Pune expressway were happening because of overspeeding, the highway police officials are planning to install automatic closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras on the expressway. This is for the first time in the country that CCTV cameras will be used on a highway to monitor the speed of vehicles.
If the plan comes into reality, the CCTV camera footage will provide details of over speeding vehicles which would enable the police take action against them. It will also help the authorities to study accidents and find out circumstances in which the mishaps take place.
The traffic engineering unit of the highway police is going to carry out a feasibility study of the entire expressway to find out appropriate locations where CCTVs can be fitted.
DNA has published a report stating speed is the demon on the Pune-Mumbai expressway but the highway police do not have adequate infrastructure to curb the speed of the vehicles. At present, the highway police have only seven speed guns for the 93 kilometre stretch of the expressway and they are operated manually.
Now, the highway police are planning to use modern technology to curb the speed of vehicles. Superintendent of Police (highway) Dilip Bhujbal told DNA, “The highway police are planning to install fully automated CCTV cameras at different locations of the entire stretch of expressway. These cameras will record the images of overspeeding vehicles along with their speed. We will get the record of these vehicles and on that basis, we can take action against these vehicle users.’’
The highway police are going to submit a proposal to the state government for installation of these cameras and they are going to prepare a feasibility report by its traffic engineering unit.
Bhujbal said, “A team of traffic engineering unit from the highway police headquarters in Mumbai has come to Pune to carry out a survey of the expressway. They have visited locations at Wadgaon and Khandala. They are going to survey the entire stretch of expressway where they will identify a few spots where these CCTV cameras will give best results. On the basis of this survey, we will be able to know how many CCTV cameras will be required. If such cameras are installed on the expressway, this expressway will become the first highway to have such type of automated cameras.’’
