- Why in news
- On 30 September 2026, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved Rs.1,789.52 crore for an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) for Delhi, to be run by Delhi Police.
- What it is
- The ITMS is a technology project to manage traffic on Delhi's existing roads. It uses adaptive signals, automated enforcement and command centres that respond to live road conditions. It is meant to cut delays, speed up emergency response and improve road safety.
- Approval and cost
- The CCEA approved the ITMS at an estimated cost of Rs.1,789.52 crore, inclusive of taxes.
- Coverage and timeline
- It covers 42 corridors in three phases over 24 months, followed by five years of operation and maintenance.
- Scale of installation
- The project covers 1,092 Adaptive Traffic Control System locations and 1,029 enforcement locations.
- Who implements
- Delhi Police implements it through a Master System Integrator chosen by competitive bidding. C-DAC supports as Project Management Consultant.
- Performance-linked phasing
- Each later phase starts only after the earlier phase is evaluated against set testing, commissioning, acceptance and performance parameters.
- Vehicle pressure
- Delhi has around 71 lakh active registered vehicles, and vehicle growth has outpaced road expansion.
Don’t confuse with ITMS vs Smart Cities Mission ITMS: This is a Delhi Police project approved by the CCEA for Delhi's 42 corridors. Many cities have their own ITMS components under other urban programmes, so do not treat it as a national scheme.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Adaptive signals and real-time data can use existing road capacity better where space for new roads is limited.
- Green corridors for ambulances and faster incident response can improve road safety and emergency care.
Problems
- Automated enforcement and AI analytics raise data privacy and surveillance concerns.
- Gains depend on integrating the system with other agencies and keeping it maintained over the long term.
Way forward
- Set clear data protection and audit rules for enforcement and vehicle-tracking data.
- Pair the technology with public transport, parking and last-mile improvements to cut congestion at its source.
Put in your answer
Delhi's vehicle load: Delhi has around 71 lakh active registered vehicles, with vehicle growth outpacing road infrastructure. This supports answers on urban congestion.
Performance-linked rollout: Phases are released only after evaluation of the previous one. This is an example of outcome-based project design.
- 2014Mains GS3 · Q8Critically assess government strategies for National Urban Transport Policy's 'moving people' goal
- 2019Mains GS2 · Q8Identify factors hindering ICT projects' implementation and suggest effective measures
- 2016Mains GS1 · Q11Introduce objectives and strategy of the Smart City Programme, with urban quality background
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: City-level project with cost and scope; a lasting topic but UPSC rarely asks about local projects.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.