The Kerala High Court has directed the transport commissioner to install additional speed violation detection systems at accident-prone locations across the state, while seeking a report identifying high-risk roads, an enforcement protocol and a timeline for deployment. The direction came during the hearing of a suo motu petition on road safety.
A bench comprising Justices V Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jayakumar noted that speeding remained a major road-safety concern and said focused, sustained enforcement was necessary. The court asked the transport commissioner to identify locations where speeding violations and accidents occur frequently, propose the installation of additional systems and submit a report specifying both locations and the timeframe for implementation.
The order draws attention to a gap within Kerala’s existing electronic surveillance network. Under the Safe Kerala Project, 726 cameras are operational, according to the transport commissioner’s submission reported by The Times of India. However, only four of these are dedicated speed violation detection systems. The network also includes 675 artificial intelligence-enabled cameras, 25 parking violation detection systems and 18 red-light violation detection systems.
The distinction is important for enforcement. A general surveillance camera network can help identify violations or support post-incident investigations, but dedicated speed detection systems are designed to record speeding as a specific offence. The court’s direction therefore seeks to move the state’s road-safety system beyond broad camera coverage towards targeted monitoring at locations where the risk is concentrated.
The court has also asked the transport commissioner to formulate a comprehensive enforcement protocol. The protocol is expected to form part of the proposals that all respondents must place before the bench. The proceedings did not specify the final number of additional systems or the locations where they will be installed; those details are to be submitted through the commissioner’s report.
The transport commissioner separately informed the court that the Motor Vehicles Department had submitted a proposal to the state government seeking approval for additional manpower. The proposal is intended to allow enforcement squads to operate around the clock through a three-shift system on all major roads in Kerala. According to the commissioner, the proposal was under the active consideration of the government when the matter was heard.
The proposed staffing arrangement indicates that the court’s intervention covers both technology and institutional capacity. Installing detection equipment without personnel to review violations, conduct enforcement and maintain round-the-clock coverage could limit its practical impact. The court has consequently sought concrete proposals from the authorities rather than relying only on the expansion of camera infrastructure.
The matter has been posted for a date after November 30. The next hearing is expected to provide the court with the transport commissioner’s risk-location assessment, the proposed deployment schedule, the enforcement protocol and an update on the state government’s decision regarding additional manpower.
