Computer cops to man checkposts

Computer cops to man checkposts
DEEP JOSHI

AHMEDABAD, December 8: Are you among those harassed by policemen while motoring to a neighbouring State? Take heart. All 10 checkposts on roads connecting Gujarat to Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra will be computerised by March 31.

``Gujarat will be the first State not only in India but in Asia where all traffic exit and entry points are computerised by March 31,'' Transport Commissioner P Pannirvel told The Indian Express. Work is on under a Rs 18.58 crore automation project.

Policemen will no longer be stationed at these points -- computer operators will. Defaulters or others trying to flee will be checked by a barrier -- and a tyre-shreeder. As soon as a vehicle touches a barrier, steel shredders embedded below the road surface will rise and rip through tyres at one go. ``The shredder system is adapted from one designed at the Pentagon,'' said Pannirvel.

He also said once computerised checkposts come into operation, the problem of harassment will come to an end. The unique feature ofthe system, which makes it totally ``corruption-free'', is pre-paid cards. ``Erring vehicle drivers will push their pre-paid cards into a computerised machine which will download the amount as penalty'', Pannirvell said, adding, ``There will be no cash payment. We will make it mandatory for all transporters to keep pre-paid cards.''

He said the computerised checkposts would be linked with the Central Monitoring and Database Management System to be set up at the Sabarmati RTO office premises in Ahmedabad. ``It is from there that my staff and I will monitor traffic operations'', Pannirvel said. He expects the department's income to double from the existing Rs 500 crore.