A state-of-the-art system, similar to the Traffic Management Centre, is to be set up at the Police Commissioner’s office
After helping the traffic police keep an eye on violators, technology is again to be put to good use in maintaining law and order.
A ‘state-of-the-art’ system, similar to the Traffic Management Centre, is expected to be set up at the Police Commissioner’s office.
Speaking at a press conference here on Monday, Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar said that 18 police stations in the central business district are to be covered in the first phase under the system. A budget of Rs. 8.5 crore is allotted for this phase. Funds from the Mega City Policing Plan (MCPP) would be utilised for this purpose, he said. Mr. Auradkar was responding to Biocon CMD Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw’s suggestion of extending CCTV cameras installed at traffic junctions to keep track of crimes in addition to traffic violations.
Mr. Auradkar said the State government, at the behest of the city police, had sought an increase in the penalty for traffic violations. “The fine for parking violation is only Rs.100. Many people prefer paying this instead of paying the parking fee of Rs. 150 an hour at a mall,” he said.
A decision on this will have to come from the Centre by amending the Motor Vehicles Act, he said.
On the staff crunch issue, Mr. Auradkar said the Police Department had received 1.06 lakh applications for 2,500 vacancies, and that the physical eligibility tests were in progress.
Civilian awards
Earlier, Additional Commissioner of Bangalore City Traffic Police, B. Dayanand, announced that 25 traffic policemen, selected out of the thousands nominated by the public, would be honoured with civilian awards at an event on July 17.
The awards are initiated as part of the ‘Unsung Heroes at Traffic Signals’ initiative of the World Peacekeepers Movement, B.PAC and Bangalore Traffic Police Department.
