PANAJI
After nearly two months of public awareness campaigns and repeated postponements, the government will begin issuing AI-generated traffic challans for all detectable traffic violations from Saturday, marking the full rollout of its technology-driven enforcement system across 26 junctions in the first phase.
Officials told The Goan that the decision to activate the automated enforcement system from August 1 follows a sharp decline in violations since the cameras became operational in monitoring mode.
“The motorists now have had sufficient time to familiarize themselves with the new surveillance network and comply with traffic rules. The system was originally expected to go live in June (after a previous delay), but we deferred enforcement because the number of violations was extremely high. At one stage, the cameras were detecting around 52,000 violations in a single day,” the senior official said.
Even after the initial postponement, violations remained high, with daily detections hovering around 23,000, prompting another extension before enforcement was finally scheduled. "Motorists have effectively had two months to understand how the system works. Since then, violations have fallen significantly and compliance has improved by nearly 80 per cent compared with June. That gave us the confidence to begin full enforcement," the official further said adding, "the government's objective is not to generate revenue through fines. The idea is to bring discipline on the roads and encourage responsible driving, which is why we chose to give motorists time instead of immediately penalizing them," the official added.
Under the first phase, AI-powered cameras installed at 26 locations automatically detect offences such as using mobile phones while driving, riding without helmets or seat belts, overspeeding, dangerous overtaking, wrong-side driving, illegal parking and stopping, failure to give way to ambulances and fire service vehicles, carrying excess pillion riders, transporting passengers in goods vehicles, and displaying fancy or unauthorised registration plates.
Officials said every electronically generated challan would be backed by photographic or video evidence captured by the AI system, allowing motorists to view the recorded offence. The automated enforcement, however, will function along with the existing mechanisms rather than replacing them. Authorities said Smart City surveillance cameras and cameras installed at various check-posts are already detecting violations and issuing electronic challans, while the Traffic Police and Transport Department will continue roadside enforcement and issue manual challans wherever necessary.
The rollout follows repeated assurances by Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho that the government would allow a grace period before imposing penalties.
"The AI cameras are already operational and recording offences, but the government has so far withheld enforcement to allow motorists time to adapt to the new system. We do not want to trouble people. We are asking them to follow the rules. If they comply, there will be no fines," Godinho had said after the cameras became operational in mid-July.
