Cops to keep hi-tech eye on traffic offenders

The next time you violate traffic rules within the Cyberabad police limits, you will be caught for sure. The Cyberabad police is all set to instal the latest `Red Speed Cameras’ to capture the images of motorists violating traffic rules so that they can be penalised later. For the first time in the State, 20 junctions in Cyberabad will have these high-end cameras.

“The Red Speed Cameras are specialised devices that capture instances of overspeeding, triple riding and signal-jumping by motorists. They transfer the captured images to the control room at the Commissionerate and the Regional Transport Authority offices.

Later, the data will be downloaded and e-challans will be issued to the violators,’’ V Ashok Reddy, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Cyberabad, told Expresso. Already, Red Speed Cameras have been installed in Bangalore, New Delhi and Mumbai. The high-definition gadgets are proposed to be installed at Cyber Towers, JNTU Circle, LB Nagar Ring Road and Uppal junction among other places at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore.

Police officials believe the cameras will play a vital role in reducing the accident rate that is quite high because of heavy traffic.

On an experimental basis, the first Red Speed Camera has been installed at Kothaguda junction recently. “We are in the process of finetuning the gadget,’’ an official said. The Red Speed Cameras are referred to as digital gatsos or monitron cameras. They work just like gatso cameras but have a more sophisticated digital image capture system.

“The camera takes three pictures. Two to confirm the speed of the vehicle in relation to the white lines painted on the road (much like the gasto system) and a third close-up picture to determine the registration number, make, model and colour of the vehicle,’’ the official explained.

The technologies used in the camera, manufactured by the UK-based Red Speed International Limited, are inductive loops such as digital camera, flash unit and near instant ADSL Data Transfer.

As the camera uses a fully digital mechanism, it sends photographs to the control room automatically through a high-speed network link. “This takes just a few seconds and therefore it makes the camera an efficient system to identify violators,’’ Ashok Reddy said.

 

By Mouli Mareedu

 

mouli@expressbuzz.com

Cop with a passion

Passion often drives one to excellence at work, they say. As if to prove this point, a lowly-placed cop with a passion for policing went out of his way and helped bust an inter-State gang with links to Mumbai mafia that led to the seizure of property worth lakhs of rupees.

The dutiful cop is V Ganesh, a traffic constable attached to the traffic wing of the Uppal police station. Carrying a childhood dream of becoming a cop, Ganesh aimed at the post of sub-inspector but, despite hard work, he could only land a constable job. But that has not dampened his spirit nor has slackened his devotion to duty.

“Working in the police force has been a passion and this led me to appear for the test for the post of SI. I wanted to join the force to work for the people,’’ Ganesh told Expresso. Ganesh’s happiness knew no bounds after the Cyberabad Police Commissioner S Prabhakar Reddy lauded his efforts in helping the police nab the gang.
Recalling the day when he came across the gang members, Ganesh said he was posted at the Uppal Ring Road when he was informed about a DCM van coming from LB Nagar carrying gold and silver ornaments worth several lakhs of rupees.
“I was told the valuables were robbed from a jewellery shop. Immediately, I began stopping all the DCM vehicles passing by and started checking them one by one,’’ he said. When two DCM vans reached the Uppal junction, he stopped them with the help of an RTC bus driver after persuading him to park his vehicle across the road blocking the way.
“In one van, I noticed that three people seated inside were quite anxious and were struggling to hide their emotions. Without wasting a second, I informed the police control room. Then I got into the van and found a bag containing gold and silver ornaments,’’ Ganesh explained the bust.

Soon, police parties arrived and took them into custody. Based on their confession, stolen property worth Rs 13.50 lakh was recovered and other gang members were arrested. “I was just doing my duty and was successful. 

It was a great feeling. All my superiors praised me for the good work,’’ Ganesh said with a glow on his face.

The Central Crime Station (CCS) of the Cyberabad Commissionerate is now planning to take him in so that his services could be utilised for crime cases. Hailing from a farmer’s family in Nalgonda district, Ganesh graduated in Arts and joined the department two years ago.

In an upbeat mood after his recent achievement, Ganesh (PC 4201) is preparing for the test (for the post of SI) yet again. This time, he is confident he would make it.
 
 
By Mouli Mareedu
mouli@expressbuzz.com
 

Experiencing village life, first hand

It was a cheerful time for kids clad in rural costumes as they enthusiastically involved in various parish professions, such as ploughing fields, milking cows and buffalos, riding on bullock carts with loads of paddy collect, disseminating paddy and cotton seeds on wet and mudspattered meadow and harvesting crop amidst folk songs.

To create awareness on village life and the farming culture, professions among the kids, the Academic Heights Public Schools (AHPS) launched Hello Farmer, an innovative student education programme. The programme is a part of their Continuing Education and Learning Programmes for Students (CELPS) and was inaugurated by S Siva Kumar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), ITC Agribusiness.

Speaking on the occasion, Siva Kumar said that the village mela would help students to know village traditions and rural culture. “Serenity and innocence lace the village life and unity. There is need to preserve the village traditions and culture by organising several programmes to create awareness among the students,” he said.

Ram Prasad, director of AHPS said that Hello Farmer aims to create awareness on traditional Indian science of agriculture and incorporate knowledge about villages among the students. The village mela programme helped number of student to understand the village culture and traditions as they directly participated ploughing of field, milking cows, riding on bullock cart with loads of paddy crop, sowing and harvesting paddy, cotton and other crops at one place. “We are planning to organise more programmes on village traditions and culture to create awareness among the students,” Sri Krishna, Correspondent of AHPS said.

He said that the Academic Heights Public School has 25 branches across the country and they are planning to extend the service setting up 100 schools in the India by 2012.

By MOULI MAREEDU

mouli@expressbuzz.com

Experiencing village life, first hand