A CCTV in action at Park Circus; (above) a CCTV missing in action at Dorina Crossing. Pictures by Pradip Sanyal

The city police force has 250 new high-fidelity electronic eyes — closed-circuit cameras equipped with night vision — but none of these will be used to rein in rogue drivers.

Ordinary CCTV cameras are installed at 12 key intersections across the city, of which four are “out of order”, and the mishap count is rising alarmingly — there have already been 133 deaths this year on city streets under the Calcutta police jurisdiction.

Yet, the latest tech tools in the Calcutta police arsenal will not be deployed to slam the brakes on drivers flouting road rules.

Instead, the hawk-eye gadgets will further strengthen surveillance around seven high-security premises — Writers’ Buildings, Lalbazar police headquarters, Nandan, the Assembly, Raj Bhavan, Kalighat Temple and Calcutta High Court. Each building will be provided with 30 to 40 cameras.

The traffic police department is wondering why the superior CCTV cameras — priced at Rs 2 lakh-plus as opposed to the existing ones that come for around Rs 1 lakh and lack night vision — are not being used to make the city streets safer. “There is adequate policing at all those seven places. The electronic eyes could have been put to far greater use at vital crossroads in Calcutta,” said an officer.

According to traffic department officers, had the hi-tech cameras been installed at major intersections, tracking down and punishing errant drivers would become easier.

“Around 500 lives are lost in road accidents every year. We cannot identify more than 10 per cent of errant vehicles,” admitted an officer.

Of the 12 CCTV cameras installed two years ago, the ones at Dorina Crossing (BBD Bag), Writers’ Buildings, MG Road-CR Avenue crossing and Gol Park are not functioning.

The eight in operation are at Park Circus, Shyambazar, Ultadanga, Moulali, Lenin Sarani-CR Avenue intersection, Rashbehari Avenue, All India Radio and Howrah Bridge approach.

As for the 250 new electronic eyes, the police brass made it clear that they would be installed at the seven addresses as part of a modernisation project.

“A control room will be set up in the office of the Special Branch from where the clippings recorded by these cameras will be examined. The cameras will strengthen the security system at the seven places,” said Kuldiep Singh, the additional commissioner of police, IV.