The Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera installed at Brahmavar is one of the six ANPR cameras installed by the Udupi police in May 2026. According to the police, the cameras have reduced traffic violations by up to 70 per cent.

| Photo Credit: Supplied photo

Traffic violations in Udupi district have reduced considerably in the seven weeks since the Udupi police installed automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, according to Superintendent of Police (SP) Hariram Shankar.The police are registering an average of 200 violations a day and sending challans for payment of the penalty.The ANPR cameras, installed by the Udupi police under a public-private partnership, came into operation on May 21, 2026. They were installed at Uchhila on the Padubidri-Uchhila road stretch in Padubidri police station limits, Dandatheertha on the Kaup-Dandatheertha road in Kaup police station limits, Thekkatte on the Kota-Thekkatte road in Kota police station limits, Trasi on the Gangolli-Trasi road in Gangolli police station limits, Nayakanakatte on the Byndoor-Nayanakatte road in Byndoor police station limits and Doopadakatte on the Karkala-Dhoopadakatte road in Karkala Rural police station limits.The cameras capture the registration plate of vehicles committing a range of traffic offences, including over-speeding, triple riding, helmetless riding, driving without a seat belt, using a mobile phone while driving, and one-way violations. Personnel examine the images at the police control room, and challans are sent to the owners of the offending vehicles electronically and via post.Mr. Shankar said the number of violations had come down over the past two months compared with the first week after the cameras were installed. “On the Karkala-Dhoopadakatte road, a good number of students were booked for helmetless riding in May. Now, many of them wear helmets while riding two-wheelers. The institutions in the vicinity have helped in the effective enforcement of traffic rules,” Mr. Shankar said. A total of 2,700 e-challans has been generated during this period.The number of over-speeding cases has come down from 40,175, recorded between May 21 and May 27, to 14,364 between June 29 and July 6, a 64% reduction. Similarly, seat belt violations have come down from 15,575 to 6,561, a 58% reduction, riding without a helmet from 12,440 to 5,070, a 59% reduction, one-way violations from 4,050 to 2,441, a 40% reduction, triple-riding from 3,174 to 1,036, a 67% reduction and over-speeding from 3,170 to 997, a 69% reduction.Mr. Shankar said the violators were largely from Karnataka. They are asked to pay the penalty at police stations in Udupi or any other traffic police station across the state within 10 days of receiving the challan. The challans are not sent through WhatsApp, Mr. Shankar said, warning motorists against fraudsters who send fake challans.The SP said 50% of the recipients of the challans sent so far have paid the fine amount. Published - July 08, 2026 06:13 pm IST