Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The Union Cabinet has cleared a technology-led overhaul of traffic management in the national capital, approving the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) for Delhi at an estimated cost of Rs 1,789.52 crore, inclusive of taxes. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the project on Wednesday, which will be implemented by Delhi Police.
The system will cover 42 identified traffic corridors and be rolled out in three phases over 24 months, followed by five years of operation and maintenance. It will bring real-time traffic data, adaptive signals, automated enforcement and integrated command-and-control systems to a road network that has struggled to keep pace with demand. Delhi has around 71 lakh active registered vehicles, and vehicle growth has substantially outpaced the expansion of road infrastructure. Traffic regulation still depends heavily on fixed signal timings and manual intervention.
Adaptive Traffic Control Systems will adjust signal timings to prevailing conditions and coordinate signals along corridors, reducing avoidable stoppages. The system will also create green corridors for ambulances and emergency vehicles. Real-time detection of congestion, slow-moving traffic and road incidents will allow Delhi Police to divert traffic and respond faster. Variable Message Sign boards and digital platforms will give commuters information on congestion, diversions and parking availability, and this data may also be shared with navigation service providers.
Enforcement will become more technology-based. The system will automatically detect red-light and stop-line violations, speeding, wrong-way driving, non-use of helmets and seat belts, illegal parking and mobile phone use while driving. AI-based analytics will help identify stolen, hot-listed and blacklisted vehicles, repeat violators and vehicles linked to hit-and-run cases.
Traffic regulation, enforcement and public information will be brought together on a common platform through Traffic Command and Control Centres, supported by secure Data Centre and Disaster Recovery infrastructure. The design follows open standards and APIs so it can be integrated and scaled in future.
The project covers 1,092 Adaptive Traffic Control System locations and 1,029 enforcement locations. Implementation will be performance-driven, with each phase taken up only after the previous one is evaluated against prescribed testing, commissioning, acceptance and performance parameters. Delhi Police will deliver the project through a Master System Integrator chosen by competitive bidding, while C-DAC will act as Project Management Consultant, handling technical scrutiny, monitoring, validation and acceptance.
The government expects smoother traffic movement, safer roads, quicker incident response, more effective enforcement and a more predictable travel experience for citizens.
