India is taking significant strides toward improving road safety and traffic management through the expansion of its Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS). This initiative is in line with the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act of 2019, which mandates electronic monitoring and enforcement on National Highways, State Highways, and in urban cities with populations meeting specific thresholds.
In August 2021, the government introduced new rules to facilitate the electronic enforcement of road safety on high-risk corridors and critical junctions in major cities, including those under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). These rules define “electronic enforcement devices” to include technologies such as speed cameras, CCTV cameras, speed guns, wearable body cameras, dashboard cameras, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), and weigh-in machines (WIM).
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has already begun implementing the Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) along high-density routes such as the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Trans-Haryana, and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway. The ATMS is designed to enhance traffic management by integrating various electronic enforcement devices. These systems not only assist in the rapid identification of incidents but also enable quicker response times for on-site assistance, improving overall highway safety.
In October 2023, NHAI further refined the standards for ATMS by updating its technical and functional specifications. The revised guidelines include provisions for AI-based Video Incident Detection and Enforcement Systems (VIDES), API-based e-challan capabilities, integration with the Rajmarg Yatra and NHAI One App, and live camera feeds accessible to enforcement agencies and NHAI offices.
As part of ongoing efforts, the installation of ATMS is being incorporated into new high-density corridors within NHAI projects. Additionally, ATMS is being deployed as standalone projects on vital, already constructed highways.
This initiative marks a major step toward a safer and more efficient road network in India, as confirmed by Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, in a recent statement to the Rajya Sabha.
