Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at a few high-profile traffic locations in the city, including on the flyover n near the Chennai airport and the Kathipara junction, have not been functioning for several months.

Everyday, police sources said, at least two high-profile personalities come to and from the airport. Besides, there are several unscheduled visits by senior political leaders, including chief ministers and Union ministers to the state.
The Kerala chief minister came here last week en route to Puducherry for the funeral of Kerala governor M O H Farook.

“The cameras were installed to prevent overspeeding and to track down registration numbers of vehicles violating traffic rules. Now, we are monitoring them manually,” said a senior police officer.

Additional police commissioner for traffic Sanjay Arora said: “All existing surveillance devices, including CCTV cameras at over 100 locations, will be merged with the proposed state-of-the-art Integrated Security Management System. The system would be in place once the government order is passed.”

A few months after the flyovers at Kathipara and the airport were opened in October 2008, two CCTV cameras each were installed — on top and beneath the structures — and monitored by a sub-inspector of police through a computer desktop in a room beneath the structures.

Just before the suburban police commissionerate merged with the city police in August 2011, police found the CCTV cameras on the blink. A CCTV camera at the Pazhavanthangal traffic point on GST Road was removed after being hit by a lorry in early 2011. “We have been reminding higher officials about the issue,” said a police officer.

A week after the Kathipara flyover opened in October 2008, a motorist was injured when another motorist tried to overtake him on the flyover. The latter went scot free as there was no surveillance system. That accident prompted the decision to install CCTV cameras at vital locations.

-times of india