Two midnight crashes, four deaths in Ernakulam: MVD, police call for more speed cameras, night patrols

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Two fatal accidents this month in Ernakulam district, in which four people died after luxury cars driven by teenagers rear-ended their two-wheelers, have thrown light on the need for the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) and the police to expand CCTV coverage and intensify real-time monitoring on roads where speeding has become common.

Especially since the luxury vehicle involved in the accident at Nedumbassery was reportedly traveling at a speed of over 140 kmph on Airport Road, while the vehicle involved in the accident at Container Road in Cheranalloor was traveling at a speed of 104 kmph. Citing the urgent need for enough speed cameras across the district, MVD and police officials said there was also a need to deploy many more patrol teams, especially as both the fatal accidents occurred at midnight.

Ernakulam Enforcement RTO Biju Isaac said there were a total of 63 AI cameras in the district. Increasing their number and installing surveillance cameras that can continuously detect speeding will help curb speeding, reckless driving and other offences, he added.

Another MVD official said the government could explore the feasibility of raising CSR funds from various firms to install CCTV if there was a shortage of funds. The government must also recruit more personnel to the MVD and police and deploy them at night on the Edappally-Aroor NH Bypass, Panampilly Nagar Road, Airport Road and Container Road, where youths tend to drive at speeds exceeding 100 kmph, often under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

“Limited number of enforcement vehicles”

In addition to camera surveillance, the presence of patrol teams would deter traffic violators. Many of the limited number of enforcement vehicles are currently out of service as the government has not paid their fuel and service bills, he added.

A senior traffic police official said enforcement took a back seat as a significant number of police personnel were deployed in multiple shifts at narrow and unscientifically planned intersections just to streamline traffic movement. “It is high time that such junctions are expanded and automatic signals are installed where required. This will help staff to focus on road safety and accident prevention measures.”

Despite repeated speeding accidents, the multi-crore Integrated Command, Control and Communication Center (IC-4) set up in the city by Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML) to monitor and penalize recklessly driven vehicles is reportedly not being utilized optimally.

Published – 27 Oct 2026 07:00 IST