Eye on speedsters: Towers being erected on the Kowdiar-Vellayambalam stretch to check overspeeding and racing by motorcyclists. | Photo Credit: S MAHINSHA more-in Cracking the whip on reckless driving, the city police has commenced the installation of highly sophisticated camera systems at the major arterial roads in the State capital. Automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) cameras are being installed for the first time in the city at three points – near the Accamma Cherian statue (two cameras), TTC junction (three), and at Kowdiar (three). Frames have already been erected for installing the eight cameras and the ongoing work is expected to be completed within March 15. Bullet cameras Besides detecting excessive speeds, the bullet cameras will capture vehicle number plates through the use of high-speed image capture technology with supporting illumination. The all-weather cameras that are equipped with a sensor system will be linked through an optical fibre network to the control room of the Thiruvananthapuram city police. Assistant Commissioner (Control Room) V. Suresh Kumar said the live feed would be relayed. Also, a separate set of monitor and server had been set up for the eight ANPR cameras. They were supplied by the public-sector Keltron, which would also undertake installation and maintenance. Cost of project The project was being executed at a cost of ?3 crore, which included the annual maintenance charge for five years. The official added that the Motor Vehicles Department was also set to install a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) high-definition camera near the Manmohan Bungalow. The police had tried many a trick, including installation of barricades and deployment of interceptors in the aftermath of the death of the youth in an accident that had occurred in front of the Manmohan Bungalow on November 17. Four others had also sustained injuries after the speeding vehicle rammed an autorickshaw and ploughed through electric posts and overturned after hitting a tree. Despite the precautionary measures, there had been little impact on the menace of rash driving along the Vellayambalam-Kowdiar stretch. An official said the barricading system that was in force during the late hours would be continued, even after the installation of the cameras.

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