PANAJI
The Goa government on Wednesday said penalties for traffic violations detected by AI-enabled surveillance cameras will be issued from August 1, following a two-week grace period for motorists to familiarise themselves with the new system.
Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho said the AI-based traffic enforcement system was not merely a State initiative but a requirement arising from directions issued by the Supreme Court-monitored Committee on Road Safety, warning that failure to implement the system could invite action against the State.
He said the committee had directed Goa to strengthen enforcement of the Motor Vehicles Act through technology, citing the State’s high road accident rate.
“If we do not implement it, there will be action against us. People should understand this,” Godinho said.
He explained that Goa had been asked to adopt artificial intelligence-based monitoring as part of a broader road safety strategy. The minister said the objective of the system was to improve compliance with traffic rules and reduce accidents, rather than generate revenue through penalties.
“If vehicle speeds are reduced, discipline on the roads will automatically improve,” he said.
The rollout follows a recent review meeting in Porvorim where retired Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre, Chairman of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, urged Goa to use AI-driven traffic management systems to reduce accidents and work towards eliminating road fatalities.
Justice Sapre said Goa had the potential to become the first State in the country to achieve zero road deaths, while stressing the importance of strict adherence to traffic rules, safety gear and faster emergency response. Godinho clarified that AI surveillance would supplement, and not replace, conventional enforcement. Traffic Police and Transport Department officials will continue roadside checks and issue physical challans.
“The AI cameras are already operational and recording offences, but enforcement was withheld to give motorists time to adapt. We do not want to trouble people. If they comply with rules, there will be no fines,” he said. The minister warned that motorists attempting to evade detection by removing, covering or tampering with vehicle registration plates would face action under both the AI enforcement system and Traffic Police. All penalties collected through AI-based enforcement will be credited to the Road Safety Fund, he said. Godinho also reiterated that vehicle owners have been given a one-month window to obtain or renew mandatory third-party insurance, after which enforcement against uninsured vehicles will begin. Initially, the AI system will focus on a limited set of traffic violations, with additional offences to be brought under automated enforcement in phases.
