Delhi traffic system to track stolen vehicles, jams

NEW DELHI Delhi’s proposed Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) will provide traffic police with real-time alerts on stolen vehicles, accidents, traffic jams and slow-moving stretches, officials said. The first phase will include more than 2,500 cameras as the city moves towards technology-driven traffic management. Under the system, a stolen vehicle reported through an FIR will trigger an alert through the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) to the traffic inspector responsible for the area. The ITMS will also integrate with the Centre’s e-Sarathi and VAHAN platforms, enabling officials to anticipate a stolen vehicle’s movement and coordinate with local police. The system will monitor road conditions and flag accidents, halted traffic and sudden drops in vehicle speeds. Alerts will reach the concerned traffic inspector, allowing officers to reach affected locations, take action and work to clear congestion. Officials said the system could also support quicker diversions and operational responses. The project will be operated through an integrated Traffic Control and Command Centre and implemented in three phases. It will include 1,092 adaptive traffic control systems and 1,029 enforcement locations, with over 2,500 cameras planned initially. Each phase will begin after testing, commissioning, acceptance and performance assessment of the previous stage. Delhi records around 95 to 100 vehicle thefts daily, while about 35,000 to 40,000 motor vehicle theft cases are registered annually. Police recorded around 35,014 such cases in 2025. The traffic unit currently has about 5,000 personnel against a sanctioned strength of 6,500. Officials said rising vehicle numbers and reliance on fixed-time signals and manual intervention have increased congestion, while the ITMS is intended to make traffic management more responsive to actual road conditions across busy roads more effectively.