As the State gets ready to tighten enforcement against traffic violators from June 5, the Motor Vehicles department (MVD) has decided not to slap fines on motorcyclists carrying a child below the age of 12 years as pillion rider until the Centre makes its stance clear on the request by the Kerala government. The State has asked the Centre to amend the Central Motor Vehicles Act which treats more than two persons travelling on a motorcycle as an offence.
The State has decided to start issuing legal notices to motorists for traffic violations detected by the newly installed artificial intelligence-powered (AI) cameras from June 5. With the new decision, legal notices would be issued to motorists involved in other types of traffic violations, including riding without headgear or seatbelt, using mobile phones while driving, and signal violations, among other offences.
Though the Central Motor Vehicles Act treats riding of children on a pillion besides another passenger as an offence, the State has decided not to slap the fine under “humanitarian consideration.” But if the Centre insists that it cannot amend the Act, the department will start issuing notices to motorcyclists considering it as an offence, said MVD sources.
Meanwhile, a committee headed by an additional transport commissioner will assess the performance of the newly-installed cameras and submit a report to the government before formally operationalising them. The tender has a provision to assess the performance of the cameras by a technical committee.
The department will also hold a training programme for enforcement officials ahead of starting full-fledged operations of the control rooms linked to the cameras.
