Surveillance cameras have been installed in 14 major streets in downtown with high traffic flow and vulnerable to accidents so that police officers can use photo from cameras as evidence to impose fines on violators.
According to traffic experts, this is one of good preventative measures to curb traffic violations while police forces are absent.
The city Department of Transport said that after six months of issuance of fines based on photos and clips from camera, the traffic is better. This step has helped raising drivers’ awareness of traffic regulation. The number of violations has been down compared to last March. For instance, the number of traffic violations reduce 60 percent, 42 percent and 62 percent in Dien Bien Phu, Truong Son and Le Duan Street.
Director of the Department of Transport Tran Quang Lam said traffic surveillance camera system is connected to the urban traffic management center. All violations are updated in the department’s portal and in apps of police officers’ smart phones.
Streets installed with surveillance cameras will have sign warning drivers that they are recorded. The urban traffic management center will transfer all violating cases to police wardens for imposing fines.
Surveillance cameras are not only used for handling traffic violations but also for pavement encroachment and they are proved to be effective measures.
Traffic expert Pham Ngoc Cong said that there has been a rise in personal vehicle in Ho Chi Minh City plus people from all corners of the country and their vehicles flocked to the city while there has been a severe shortage of traffic warden leading to people’s regulation violation. Therefore, surveillance camera installation will raise people’s awareness of traffic.
A representative from the Road and Railway Traffic Police Division (PC08) of the HCMC Department of Police said that in 2019, more than 61,000 violators received fines based on photos and clip from surveillance cameras.
The municipal People’s Committee worked with the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Public Security approved new sanctions on traffic violators through cameras. The city has prepared human resources and technology for installation of more surveillance cameras to prevent violations.
Because some present regulations of traffic are out-of- dated, the city People’s Committee has petitioned to the government to include some more regulation in handling traffic violations through photos and clip from surveillance cameras.
Statistically, 600 violations were recorded attached with photo and clip from cameras; however, just 120 violators have paid fines.
