The LDF government on Thursday said that even VIPs including MPs and MLAs cannot escape AI cameras installed to monitor traffic violations under Safe Kerala project. The cars of 19 MLAs and 10 MPs have been caught by Artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras in one month, said the government, as per a report on PTI. The AI cameras are equipped in order to bring down the number of road accidents and fatalities in Kerala. Kerala Transport Minister Antony Raju told reporters that there was a misbelief that VIPs are not included in traffic violation cases.
However, AI cameras have booked all the vehicles irrespective of the registration or the owners. As a result, all of them have been fined for traffic violations, as per a report on PTI.
The Minister said that the car of an MP was caught violating traffic rules six times and another MLA's four-wheeler was caught seven times by an AI camera.
Yet, the Minister did not reveal the details of the legislators.
Raju said, "The challans have been issued in most cases and the challans will be issued for the remaining as well."
Raju stated that in addition to booking VIPs for traffic infractions, the AI cameras had helped to reduce the number of accidents and accompanying fatalities on state roads.
He also stated that traffic offenses have decreased dramatically.
Meanwhile, the government is also considering having negotiations with insurance firms to restrict motorists from renewing their vehicle insurance if traffic challans are due. This move is likely to cause some backlash.
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The government data revealed by the Minister said that the road fatalities in July were 67. He said this was a decline from 313 deaths recorded in July last year.
He said, "This count will change as many are critically injured and are still in hospitals. This is the present count from the State Crime Records Bureau."