Team Blitz India
MAHARASHTRA is gearing up to revolutionise traffic management on one of its busiest highways, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The introduction of the state’s first Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), aims to bolster road safety and streamline traffic control measures.
Slated to operationalise in the first week of June, in its initial phase, the ITMS rollout encompasses the installation of 218 AI-enabled CCTV cameras across 39 gantries, spanning a 95-kilometre stretch of the expressway. These cutting-edge cameras boast the capability to detect 17 distinct traffic violations, ensuring rigorous enforcement of statutes.
Moreover, the integration of automatic number plate recognition technology at toll booths will facilitate the swift issuance of e-challans to offenders. To cater to the commercial transport sector, weigh-in-motion devices will be stationed at expressway entrances, while 11 weather monitoring systems will furnish real-time meteorological updates.
To enhance emergency response mechanisms, existing service vehicles, including tow vans and ambulances, will be outfitted with vehicle tracking systems. Variable messaging signboards stationed at 23 locations along the expressway will serve as indispensable communication aids, disseminating critical information pertinent to motorists, such as traffic updates and weather forecasts.
Under the ITMS framework, live feeds of vehicles flouting traffic norms will be relayed to the nearest toll booth. An alert system will be triggered, facilitating swift intervention by authorities to maintain traffic discipline. Furthermore, the issuance of echallans through ITMS will hold vehicle owners accountable for infringements, with traffic police withholding essential ‘no dues certificates’ for heavy vehicle registration renewals until all fines are settled.
The successful deployment of ITMS on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway sets a precedent for analogous endeavours on other highways, with plans underway to replicate the system on the Samruddhi Mahamarg, heralding a new era of traffic management prowess in the state
