New Delhi: Delhi’s newly approved ₹1,789.52-crore Intelligent Traffic Management System will advance in stages tied to performance checks, with each subsequent phase taken up only after the preceding phase is evaluated against prescribed testing, commissioning, acceptance and performance parameters.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Delhi Police project on Wednesday. It will cover 42 identified traffic corridors in three phases over 24 months, followed by five years of operation and maintenance. The estimated cost includes taxes.
The project seeks to make better use of existing roads by replacing dependence on fixed signal timings and manual intervention with traffic-responsive signals, automated enforcement and integrated command-and-control systems. According to the government, Delhi has around 71 lakh active registered vehicles, with vehicle growth substantially outpacing expansion of road infrastructure.
1,092 adaptive traffic-control and 1,029 enforcement locations
The approved project will cover 1,092 Adaptive Traffic Control System locations and 1,029 enforcement locations. Signal timings will adjust dynamically to prevailing traffic conditions, with signals coordinated along the selected corridors to reduce avoidable stops and delays, the government said.
The phase-by-phase assessment means the rollout is intended to be judged against defined implementation and performance requirements as it progresses. The announcement approves implementation; it does not mean the full system is already operational across the 42 corridors.
Priority passage for ambulances
The system is designed to facilitate green corridors and priority movement for ambulances and other emergency vehicles through congested stretches. Real-time identification of congestion, slow-moving traffic and road incidents is also intended to help Delhi Police arrange diversions and respond faster.
Variable Message Sign boards and digital platforms will give commuters information on traffic conditions, diversions and parking availability. The release says information may also be shared with navigation service providers to help people make travel choices.
Automated checks from signals to phone use while driving
The ITMS will strengthen automated detection of red-light and stop-line violations, speeding, wrong-way driving, failure to use helmets and seat belts, illegal parking and mobile-phone use while driving.
AI-based analytics will also assist in identifying stolen, hot-listed and blacklisted vehicles, repeat violators and vehicles connected with hit-and-run incidents, according to the announcement.
Delhi Police implementation, C-DAC technical oversight
Delhi Police will select a Master System Integrator through competitive bidding to implement the project. C-DAC will act as Project Management Consultant, providing technical scrutiny, monitoring, validation and acceptance support during implementation and the operation-and-maintenance period.
Traffic regulation, enforcement and commuter information will be brought onto a common platform through Traffic Command and Control Centres, supported by secure Data Centre and Disaster Recovery infrastructure. Open standards and application programming interfaces will support future integration and expansion.
The government expects the project to complement road and transport infrastructure improvements by helping the existing network carry traffic more efficiently, with safer movement, quicker incident response and more predictable journeys. These are the projected benefits of the approved rollout.
