5 days ago
Pilot Deadline Missed, IITMS Signal Installation at 10 Junctions to be Completed in Two Weeks
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Nagpur: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is racing against time to complete the pilot phase of its ambitious Rs197 crore Intelligent and Integrated Traffic Management System (IITMS).
At a review meeting held on Wednesday, municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari directed the electrical department to finish installing smart signals at 10 key city junctions by June 15. Software operations will commence simultaneously from the NMC's command and control centre at its headquarters.
Originally, the pilot project was scheduled for completion by April 30. After missing this deadline, the agency rescheduled it to May end.
However, that deadline was also missed. Now, the civic chief has issued a stern ultimatum to the private contractor, warning of strict penal action if the revised June 15 deadline is not met.
According to Rajendra Rathod, executive engineer of the NMC's electrical department, 90% of the required materials — including IT and controller boxes and other installation components — have already reached Nagpur. "Civil and cable-laying works are nearly complete.
We're now ready to proceed with signal and system installation," he said.
The pilot project is being executed in collaboration with Kerala-based system integrator Keltron and the city's traffic police. The selected junctions for this phase include Alankar Talkies, Kachipura, Bajaj Nagar, Abhyankar Nagar, Ajit Bakery T-point, LAD Square, Laxmi Nagar, Shraddhanandpeth Square, and Deekshabhoomi Square.
The pilot will also feature trial runs of two to three of the planned 25 speed radars and LED-based variable messaging signboards, designed to provide commuters with real-time traffic updates.
Once operational, the AI-powered IITMS will replace conventional signal timers with 171 adaptive traffic signals across the city. These signals will respond dynamically to live traffic conditions, potentially reducing travel time by 28-48% and increasing average vehicle speeds by 46-62%.
Beyond easing congestion, the IITMS will include features such as red-light violation detection, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), speed monitoring, and CCTV-based surveillance.
All data will be fed into a centralized command centre, enabling automated e-challans and simulated emergency traffic control.
The entire project is scheduled for completion by December 2026, with Keltron responsible for installation and a five-year maintenance period. Once the pilot phase is declared successful, the NMC will begin city-wide upgrades of the remaining 161 signals and associated infrastructure.
