Thane’s AI traffic system flags 30,000 violators in 75 days; offences drop over 50%

After over 16,000 challans were issued to traffic rules violators in September, violations sharply declined by 46% in October and 55% in the first half of November at one of Thane’s busiest intersections

THANE: An AI-driven Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) installed at Cadbury Junction has detected 30,085 traffic violations in just two-and-a-half months. After over 16,000 challans were issued to traffic rules violators in September, violations sharply declined by 46% in October and 55% in the first half of November at one of Thane’s busiest intersections.

he Cadbury Junction ITMS is part of a larger project to install 350 such units across Thane, Dombivli, Bhiwandi, Ambernath, Ulhasnagar, Badlapur and other areas under Thane City Police. Currently, 12 systems are operational, and 150 more are expected to be installed by the end of December (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo)

Activated on September 1, the system uses high-definition CCTV cameras to track violations round the clock. After verification by traffic personnel, e-challans are issued to offenders, with which the Thane Traffic Police collected ₹30.85 lakh in fines under various sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.

In September alone, the system recorded 16,709 cases at the junction— including 11,000 instances of signal jumping. Following this, the numbers fell to 9,082 in October, and to 4,294 till November 17, indicating improved compliance among motorists, which is a 46% drop in October and a 55% drop in November at Cadbury Junction, the traffic police said.

The Cadbury Junction ITMS is part of a larger project to install 350 such units across Thane, Dombivli, Bhiwandi, Ambernath, Ulhasnagar, Badlapur and other areas under Thane City Police. Currently, 12 systems are operational, and 150 more are expected to be installed by the end of December.

An ITMS unit comprises multiple high-resolution cameras programmed to detect offences such as signal jumping, triple-seat riding, riding without a helmet, and driving without a seat belt. Alerts are sent to the traffic control room, where a team of personnel reviews the footage across two shifts before issuing challans. The police have clarified that the system does not automatically penalise motorists; challans are issued only after manual verification by officers of the rank of Police Naik or above.