The majority of road accidents in the capital and other areas are caused by vehicle overspeeding and dangerous overtaking. On Saturday night, a death occurred near Lohia Chauraha when a car overturned after hitting a divider. To prevent road accidents, interceptor vehicles will now be deployed to monitor high-speed vehicles. To curb this, the Transport Department has provided five interceptor vehicles to the Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) Enforcement, and Passenger Tax Officers in the capital. These will be used to issue fines to speeding vehicles.
Rising Fatalities Due To Speeding
In a high-level meeting of the Road Safety Committee in February 2025, it was reported that 40 per cent of fatalities in road accidents in 2022 were due to vehicle overspeeding. In 2023, the figure for accidents caused by speeding vehicles increased to 49 per cent.
High-Tech Cameras And Speed Guns
A Scorpio has been converted into the interceptor, equipped with cameras and a speed gun. This vehicle can be parked on any road to catch speeding vehicles. The vehicle has a camera and speed gun mounted at the rear, which can be operated both manually and automatically. In both modes of operation, the vehicle's speed is captured first, followed by an image of its number plate and the driver as it gets closer. Previously, when using mobile devices, the high speed of a vehicle often resulted in unclear images of the number plate and driver, meaning fines could only be issued for vehicles where the number plate and driver's face were clear. Previously, it was often not possible to identify the drivers of speeding vehicles when issuing fines, but now such drivers can also be caught in the city. The speed gun will therefore be very helpful in taking action.
Speed Limits And Penalties: Rs 2,000 Fine And Licence Suspension
If a vehicle is found to be speeding, a fine of Rs 2,000 will be issued and the driving licence will also be suspended. In the capital, the permitted speed for vehicles is 60 kilometres per hour on Shaheed Path and Lohia Path, while on all other city roads it is 40 kilometres per hour. Exceeding this speed will result in a fine and potential suspension of the driving licence. The rule upon being caught is a one-year suspension of the driving licence. There will also be a fine of Rs 2,000.
Manual Fine Process And Future Plans
RTO Enforcement Prabhat Pandey stated, "The interceptors will allow for effective control of overspeeding. Previously, the Lucknow zone received two vehicles, and 250 fines were issued in each district. Now, Lucknow has received five vehicles. A target for the number of fines has not yet been set." The Transport Department has provided the high-tech interceptor vehicles, but the process for issuing fines is manual, meaning an ARTO or Passenger Tax Officer must click to issue the fine. However, automatic fines could be issued if the system were directly connected to the traffic headquarters via the internet. It is possible that this system will be implemented in the future.