The Goa government is reportedly deploying advanced AI-powered surveillance cameras designed to detect occupants inside vehicles with heavily tinted glass. This initiative is claimed to curb traffic violations, improve road safety, and track suspicious activity. The question that arises is whether this level of surveillance is truly necessary. India already has clear legal provisions regulating the use of tinted glass in vehicles precisely to ensure that law enforcement can identify occupants when required. The logical response would be to strengthen enforcement mechanisms against tinted glass and not to leap towards expensive and intrusive technological overhauls.
Using advanced surveillance to compensate for routine enforcement failures risks setting a wrong precedent. Roads in several parts of the State continue to require urgent upgrades, maintenance, and better planning. Allocating significant funds towards high-end surveillance systems, when basic civic needs remain unmet, seems unwarranted. News of allegations surrounding the high costs of CCTV installations under the Smart City project in Panaji is fresh in the mind of the general public. Vehicles are not just modes of transport. They are also private spaces. The idea that surveillance systems could potentially identify or analyse occupants inside cars could intrude into their privacy. Before moving forward, the Goa government would do well to pause, reassess priorities, and look into public concerns.
