The cameras on the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, also called Atal Setu, that are a part of the intelligent traffic management system (ITMS) are incapable of detecting violations, such as speeding, the Maharashtra transport department has found, The Indian Express reported.
Now, the department has requested the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority to upgrade the system, bringing it to the standards of ITMS installed on the Mumbai-Pune highway.
The 21.8-km sea bridge, the longest in the country with 16 km spanning over water, has reduced travel time between South Mumbai and Navi Mumbai by up to an hour. As per MMRDA, more than 5 million vehicles traversed the bridge between January 13 and August 25.
Atal Setu: Camera testing
In order to test the cameras, a senior transport official said that some vehicles were made to run at speeds beyond the permissible limit on the Atal Setu sea bridge. However, the cameras failed to capture the violations.
The official said the MMRDA and other authorities are under no compulsion regarding the implementation of ITMS. The speed limit on the MTHL is set at 100 km/h, with a reduced limit of 40 km/h while ascending and descending the flyover.
The official also noted that while the current cameras offer real-time monitoring and help ensure commuter safety, they are not equipped to detect major traffic violations such as speeding, driving without seatbelts, using mobile phones while driving, lane-cutting, or wrong-way driving. Due to these limitations, the system has not received ITMS certification, which is required for issuing traffic challans to violators.
An efficient ITMS, using AI, is capable of detecting up to 15 types of traffic offences. The MMRDA will be recommended to upgrade the system to detect at least 7 to 8 types of traffic violations.
An official from the agency managing the MTHL confirmed that the cameras can be reconfigured to meet the requirements for detecting traffic violations. Although the original ITMS contract with the MMRDA included provisions for identifying speeding, additional upgrades are expected following consultations with the authority.
Since its opening in January, no penalty has been issued on the Atal Setu for traffic violations. At present, motorists on the bridge are only alerted for insufficient FASTag balances and illegal stopping. Once ITMS certification is obtained, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) will be able to issue challans for traffic violations.