GUILHERME ALMEIDA
Long before the Goa government decided to introduce the Electronic Enforcement of Traffic Violations through the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), the Traffic Police relied on Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance cameras as an electronic tool to detect traffic violations and prosecute offenders.
In fact, Margao came under the watchful eye of electronic surveillance more than a decade ago when dozens of CCTV cameras were installed at strategic locations across the commercial capital under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme. A dedicated traffic control room was established at the South Goa District Police headquarters, where traffic personnel monitored live feeds, identified violations and issued challans to errant motorists.
However, even as the government prepares to operationalise the state-of-the-art ITMS network for automated enforcement of traffic violations, authorities appear to have overlooked an existing surveillance infrastructure that could be effectively deployed to improve traffic discipline within the city.
Several high-resolution CCTV cameras installed by the government at major traffic junctions and busy market areas continue to remain underutilised for traffic enforcement, despite being positioned at locations notorious for frequent violations. Traffic offences such as wrong-side driving, no-entry violations, illegal parking, riding without helmets and driving without seat belts continue unabated in these areas, with little evidence of electronic monitoring being used to curb the menace.
Motorists routinely encounter CCTV cameras at key locations, including the busy Kohinoor Junction near the Margao Municipal Council building and across the New Market area. Yet, these cameras have not been integrated with the Traffic Cell's enforcement mechanism for reasons that remain unclear. Unlike in the past, when a dedicated traffic surveillance room actively monitored camera feeds and generated challans based on recorded violations, no such system is currently in operation under the Margao Traffic Cell.
Senior traffic officials acknowledged that the existing CCTV network is presently being utilised primarily for security and law-and-order purposes rather than traffic management.
"The cameras are useful from the security point of view, but they are not being used to monitor and prosecute traffic violations the way they were earlier," a senior official admitted.
Officials believe the city could witness a marked improvement in traffic discipline if the existing surveillance network is brought under the ambit of traffic enforcement.
"The ITMS cameras have been installed mainly on the outskirts of Margao at locations such as Arlem, Gogol, the Old Market junction and Navelim. While they will certainly help regulate traffic entering and leaving the city, the CCTV cameras already installed within the city and around congested market areas could play an equally important role in tackling violations inside the city limits," an official said.
Officials said the existing cameras could effectively detect offences including no-entry violations, haphazard parking etc in the busy commercial zones. Besides improving compliance with traffic regulations, their use could also reduce the burden on field personnel and enable more consistent enforcement.
With traffic congestion and indiscipline continuing to plague Margao's roads, particularly in the central business district and market areas, questions are raised why an existing surveillance network remains largely untapped while authorities await the full implementation of the ITMS project.
