Kerala AI traffic camera system stalls over unpaid Keltron dues

Kerala’s AI-enabled automated traffic enforcement system, part of the ‘Safe Kerala’ initiative, has faced a major disruption due to unpaid dues owed to the Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (Keltron). Since September 1, violation data from 726 road cameras has been unable to reach control rooms, halting the processing and printing of e-challans.

The disruption follows the government's decision to stop disbursing quarterly service payments after February 2025. Keltron reportedly faces arrears exceeding Rs 60 crore, marking the seventh consecutive quarter of default. In response to the financial crunch, Keltron has withdrawn 140 personnel from 14 district-level control rooms.

While the cameras continue to detect and locally store traffic violations, the inability to transfer this data prevents the verification and issuance of penalties. Since the project's launch in June 2023, the system has detected approximately 1.42 crore violations and collected Rs 327 crore in fines from a total of Rs 922.04 crore imposed.