A local court has directed Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora to meet with civic agencies for the installation of CCTV cameras at accident-prone places and make “sincere efforts” in installing high-resolution cameras at the locations.
The court also sought a detailed report on traffic management from the Delhi top cop in light of numerous road accidents resulting in deaths or injuries.
The accident-prone areas noted by the court include NH-8, Ring Road and Dhaula Kuan.
Presiding Officer of Motor Accident Claims Tribunal Shefali Barnala Tandon was hearing an application by Vipin Kumar, an inspector, seeking directions to civic agencies for the installation of CCTV cameras at NH-8, Ring Road and Dhaula Kuan.
“…Commissioner of police, Delhi, is directed to have meeting(s) with civic agencies ie, the NHAI (National Highways Authority of India), PWD (Public Works department), the Delhi Cantonment Board etc for installation of CCTV cameras at NH-8, Ring Road, Dhaula Kuan etc and make sincere efforts that high-resolution CCTV cameras are installed at the aforesaid places at the earliest so that most of the accidental cases can be worked out,” the judge said in an order dated May 8.
The judge noted that according to the application, NH-8, Ring Road and Dhaula Kuan loops are accident-prone areas and, in the absence of high-quality CCTV cameras, most of the accident cases remain unsolved.
In 2022, of the 35 fatal accident cases, 21 remained unsolved, the judge said noting the application.
The judge said the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019, is a benevolent legislation, brought with the object and intent to compensate the family of the deceased and the people who suffered injuries, including permanent disability, in road accidents.
It is a plight, however, that the majority of road accident cases remain unsolved even in this era of technology and the victims are deprived of justice, the judge said.
“The tribunal has great concern over the same as the figures of such unsolved cases are alarming when most of the road accident cases can be solved by making use of technology and hi-technological devices, including CCTV cameras having a high resolution to capture the relevant details of an accident, which should be installed at major traffic areas on the roads of Delhi, and especially in the accident-prone areas,” the judge said.
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The court also directed the commissioner to file a detailed report regarding the outcome of the meeting on or before the next date of hearing on June 8.
“Before parting with the aforesaid application, in this background of numerous road accidents resulting in death or injuries to the public at large and not losing sight of traffic condition in Delhi, the tribunal deems it appropriate to call for a detailed report on traffic management from the commissioner of police ,” the judge said.
The application was filed by Station House Officer Kumar during the hearing of a case registered at Delhi Cantonment police station under sections 279 ( rash driving or riding on a public way) and 304 A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code.
