Delhi’s intelligent traffic management system has received approval from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, with the ₹1,789.52-crore project set to cover 42 major traffic corridors across the capital. The system will use real-time data, artificial intelligence-based signals and an integrated command centre to manage congestion, improve road safety and give priority to emergency vehicles.
The approval was given by the committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Delhi Police will implement the project, which is planned for completion in three phases over 24 months. The system will then have a five-year operations and maintenance period, according to the report by Jagran – New Delhi.
The project comes as Delhi manages approximately 71 lakh active registered vehicles, with vehicle numbers continuing to rise. The expansion of road infrastructure has not kept pace with this growth, while traffic management at several locations continues to rely on fixed signal timers and manual intervention. The approved system is intended to use existing road capacity more efficiently by adjusting traffic operations to actual conditions on the road.
Under the plan, artificial intelligence-enabled adaptive signals will change timings according to traffic pressure. Signals along the 42 identified corridors will also be coordinated to reduce repeated stops for motorists. The project includes 1,092 adaptive traffic control systems and 1,029 enforcement sites, alongside automatic cameras and other digital traffic-management equipment.
Emergency response is a central component of the system. It is designed to create green corridors automatically for ambulances and other emergency vehicles, allowing them to move through intersections with fewer interruptions. The system will also send real-time information about congestion, slow-moving traffic and accidents to Delhi Police, enabling traffic diversions and operational responses.
For commuters, variable message signboards and digital platforms are expected to provide updates on traffic conditions, parking availability and diversions. The project’s data may also be shared with navigation applications such as Google Maps, allowing users to select routes based on changing traffic conditions. The report does not specify the final list of corridors or the detailed enforcement functions of each camera location.
A unified Traffic Command and Control Centre will oversee traffic management, enforcement and public information. It will be connected to a secure data centre and disaster-recovery infrastructure. Delhi Police will select a master system integrator through a competitive bidding process, while the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, or C-DAC, will act as technical consultant and handle project monitoring, verification and technical assessment.
Implementation will follow a stage-gated approach: the next phase will begin only after the preceding phase is considered successful. The immediate milestones are the competitive appointment of the master system integrator, finalisation of the corridor-level design and commencement of the first implementation phase.
