In a bid to enhance road safety and ensure smooth traffic flow, AI-powered Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) will be employed on Mumbai-Pune Expressway. This is the first time that this system will be used in Maharashtra while it has already been put to use on Madhya Pradesh's Indore.

Phase 1 of the project will see 218 AI-enabled CCTV cameras being mounted on 39 gantries, that have already been erected on a 95 km stretch of the expressway. These advanced cameras will be capable of identifying up to 17 types of traffic violations.

This system will also be able to automatically recognise number plates, allowing the police to issue e-challans for violations. Further, it will also reduce the chances of huge traffic jams caused due to broken down vehicles by swiftly spotting and reporting any such automobiles to the control room.

Presently, the response times to such incidents can exceed an hour, particularly in the Borghat area. However, with the ITMS, which expedites the detection and response to breakdowns, officials report a significant reduction in response times to just half an hour during trial runs.

The system also includes sign boards that will come up at 23 locations on the expressway. These will provide commuters with real-time updates on road closures, deteriorating weather, heavy traffic, etc.

With the Mumbai-Pune Expressway averaging traffic of up to 40,000 vehicles on a daily, which touches 60,000 vehicles on weekends, this modern system is a welcome tool that can streamline traffic flow and bolster road safety.