The Bombay High Court has told the Maharashtra Government to install CCTV cameras on all motorways and highways across the Indian state to improve safety and help the police.
A bench headed by Justice Ajay Khanwilkar has called for CCTV cameras and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to be implemented in order to monitor vehicle movement and cut down on accidents attributed to poor driving.
The judges sat on public interest litigation by the Association for Aiding Justice, relating to ensuring the improvement for medical services on highways throughout the region.
It was observed, on top of the other issues debated, that CCTV cameras would be an effective tool in improving safety across all expressways and highways, and the judges questioned why there were no cameras currently in use.
The High Court recommended that CCTV should be installed on lamp posts and connected to a central control room, with ANPR technology installed to effectively monitor the movement of vehicles.
It suggested that the Government insisted on a clause to be inserted whenever tenders are floated for construction or maintenance contracts throughout Maharashtra, directing them to install CCTV cameras.
The judges stated the implementation of such surveillance technology will reduce the pressure on police and bring down accident numbers.
“Today, there is no discipline on highways and expressways. The vehicles tend to zig-zag around heavy vehicles. Installation of CCTV cameras on these roads will help curb accidents. The travellers will be aware that there are CCTV cameras and will avoid speeding too,” said the bench.
It was requested that all options are considered and a follow-up report into the roll-out of CCTV across the highways filed to the court within two weeks.
