Bengaluru: When world-renowned violinist Philippe Quint accidentally left a 300-year-old, multi-million-dollar Stradivarius at the back of a New York City cab, the driver thought it was a forgotten gym bag. But Bengaluru’s AI-equipped traffic cameras have taken confusion over an inanimate object to a whole new level, with something as harmless as a guitar landing on the wrong side of the city’s traffic law.Souvik Dutta was riding his wife’s scooter in the city, with his guitar strapped to his back. However, the traffic surveillance system appeared to have seen something else: An unhelmeted pillion rider!Dutta said he was slapped with a Rs 500 penalty for “pillion not wearing protective head gear”. One of the AI cameras installed on Outer Ring Road had captured him at noon on Sept 15. The challan, along with “photographic evidence”, was generated the next day.Taking to social media, Dutta appealed to Bengaluru traffic police to revoke the challan. His post, accompanied by the challan details, took a swipe at the city’s AI-based traffic enforcement system: “So much for AI-based traffic violation detection!” the post read.When TOI brought the matter to the notice of joint commissioner of police (traffic) Karthik Reddy, he said he would look into the issue. “If found true, we will revoke the violation,” he assured.Bengaluru traffic police had adopted an AI-based surveillance system in Dec 2022 and run it without any human validation at the backend. However, when complaints pertaining to vehicle-number plates being wrongly read started cropping up, police decided to manually validate all violations raised by AI.In another incident in Belagavi district’s Athani, a car owner was reportedly issued a Rs 500 fine for “not wearing a helmet” after an AI camera captured his car. The owner responded by making a video of himself driving the car with a helmet on!According to online chatter, two years ago, a motorist was fined for not wearing a seat belt even though he claimed he was strapped in. Reality: The seat belt was difficult for the system to distinguish from the driver’s shirt colour.And the problem is not unique to Bengaluru or any Indian city. According to media reports in May this year, about 3,000 drivers in Western Australia had appealed camera-detected seat belt infringements, with 60% of those appeals succeeding.How to challenge a traffic challan* File a dispute online: Visit https://btp.karnataka.gov.in or use the official BTP ASTraM / KSP mobile app* Select the issue: Choose the ‘Problem in Challan’ or ‘Raise a Dispute’ option, enter your vehicle details, and describe the error* Attach proof: Upload images or documents supporting your claim and submit the form* Alternative: You can email your dispute with your vehicle number and photo evidence to automationpubbcp@ksp.gov.in or bangloretrafficpolice@gmail.com* Follow-up: BTP representatives typically acknowledge grievances within 48 hrs. If unresolved, proceed to a virtual or physical magisterial court
