12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
How AI is quietly reshaping Bengaluru police: From AI-powered traffic management to drone surveillance
In a candid conversation on Nikhil Kamath's podcast, Bengaluru's top police officials revealed how they are leveraging cutting-edge technology, from AI to drones, to manage the city's notorious traffic and enhance overall policing.
Police Commissioner B Dayananda and Joint Commissioner MN Anucheth offered a rare behind-the-scenes look into the city's high-tech command centre and the tools powering smarter enforcement.
At the heart of this tech-forward approach are two key platforms: ASTRAM (Actionable Intelligence for Sustainable Traffic Management) and VANKi (Visual Aerial Network for Knowledgeable Insights).
(Also Read: Nikhil Kamath says metro work near his Bengaluru home has dragged on for 10 years)
The ASTRAM system, built on AI and big data, processes inputs from over 1,500 CCTV cameras, traffic apps, and ground intelligence to monitor 21 high-density corridors covering more than 3,500 kilometers. It tracks real-time disruptions, from accidents to protests, and pushes alerts to platforms like Google Maps, enabling quicker rerouting and emergency response.
At 165 key junctions, AI-based adaptive traffic signals now dynamically adjust signal times based on real-time traffic volume and historical patterns. The system has cut average wait times by up to 22 per cent and reduced the need for manual intervention at signals from 40 per cent to just 5 per cent.
For aerial insights, VANKi drones are deployed during peak hours, providing bird's-eye visuals of gridlocks and hidden bottlenecks, such as vehicle breakdowns not visible at ground level.
Enforcement, too, is going digital. The Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) uses AI to detect violations like helmetless riding or skipping seat belts. While fines are automatically generated, officers manually review them to avoid errors. With 99.9 per cen of payments now cashless, the police claim this has nearly eliminated corruption in traffic enforcement.
To build accountability and trust, every traffic cop now wears a body camera, while patrol vehicles are tracked with IoT-enabled GPS. According to Anucheth, these devices have helped resolve most citizen complaints — often showing the officer in the right.
The police also run a priority ambulance service, where emergency vehicles can request green corridor support via an app-based system called E-Path. 'Every day, about 20 to 22 ambulances benefit from this,' said Anucheth.
The officers also showcased the newly opened Bangalore Traffic Museum, designed to educate citizens about road safety and the city's evolving traffic management systems.
The podcast offered a rare peek into how India's tech capital is attempting to use data, automation, and transparency to untangle its civic challenges — starting with the streets.
(Also Read: Bomb hoax delays Bengaluru-bound Karnataka Express by 3 hours, four held for questioning)
