Soon, AI-driven crackdown on traffic offenders in Amritsar

Amritsar: Amritsar is preparing to enter a new era of AI-driven traffic enforcement with the upcoming launch of automatic e-challaning at seven key locations across the city, a move aimed at tightening road discipline and curbing the long-entrenched "sifarashi culture" often associated with traffic violations.Backed by more than 1,300 high-resolution surveillance cameras installed across the city, the system will automatically detect violations such as overspeeding, lane indiscipline, red-light jumping and improper driving behaviour, issuing e-challans directly to offenders without human intervention, said Amandeep Kaur, additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP), traffic, Amritsar City, adding that the system will be operational by the end of this month.Officials believe the automatic challaning system will significantly reduce such practices, as the process will be entirely technology-driven and uniform for all categories of vehicles, including private cars, government vehicles, two-wheelers, three-wheelers and commercial transport.Sources, however, informed that habitual violators are already devising methods to outsmart the technology . Sources further informed that many offenders commonly attempt to deceive Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems using illegal tricks such as smearing mud or grease on number plates, altering digits with black tape, using fancy Punjabi-style fonts, reflective sprays, tilted plates, magnetic flaps and even duplicate registration numbers adding that some motorists are deliberately studying camera blind spots, drive closely behind larger vehicles to hide number plates, or accelerate rapidly through junctions where older camera systems struggle to capture clear frames."To this, we have taken all precautions, though several operational issues may emerge once the system is launched," the ADCP said.She said, "The cameras will automatically identify traffic violators and generate e-challans. If ignored, the challan can lead to the vehicle being blacklisted and permanently showing pending in official records," she said.Another police officer informed that under the Motor Vehicles Act, tampering with number plates or using fake registrations is itself a punishable offence that can invite heavy fines, seizure of vehicles and criminal action.