Despite thumbs down from transporters over e-challans, ITMS system set to expand across Maharashtra

Mumbai, Jul 6 (PTI) Amid transporters expressing misgivings about e-challans, the Maharashtra government is set to bring almost 2000 kilometres of roads under the Intelligent Traffic Management System that issues them for traffic violations.

The ITMS, which is currently in force on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, will now be extended to Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Marathwada and Konkan-Western Maharashtra regions over the next 15 months.

It will cover nine major highway stretches, namely Thane-Achhad, Mumbai-Kagal, Nashik-Dhule, Pune-Solapur, Pune-Nashik, Pune-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur-Akola, Nagpur-Chandrapur as well as Nagpur-Deori, officials said.

The firm slated to supply radar-mounted interceptor vehicles has secured the contract to implement and operate ITMS in five circles along with railway PSU RailTel, which will execute the project in one circle, they said.

The Rs 1387 crore project to implement ITMS on nine highways and blacks spots in two circles has been awarded to a consortium led by infra firm Ashoka Buildcon Limited (ABL) and its subsidiary Ashoka Purestudy Technologies Pvt Ltd (APTPL) in five circles, the officials said.

According to details submitted by ABL to National Stock Exchange in June, the estimated regionwise costs are Rs 315.54 crore for Konkan and Western Maharashtra, Rs 314.96 crore for Marathwada, Rs 291.49 crore for Mumbai, Rs 285.23 crore for Pune, and Rs 179.97 crore for Nagpur.

The work orders for ITMS were issued around two weeks ago, with the project expected to go live in 15 months and the firms having to operate it for a 10-year period, confirmed Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar.

"Electronic enforcement is mandatory for all state and national highways and cities having population of more than one million. We have submitted an action plan to the Supreme court," Bhimanwar said.

The project got delayed due to the code of conduct for (Lok Sabha and assembly) polls, retendering etc, he added.

The project was proposed around two-and-half years ago and underwent three rounds of retendering before being finalised, he said.

The government is going to provide 16-18 per cent viability gap funding (VGF) for the project, Bhimanwar informed.

A high-powered committee has sanctioned VGF of Rs 69.64 crore for road safety in the 2025-26 fiscal.

Incidentally, since its rollout on Mumbai Pune Expressway in July last year, it has come in for criticism from motorists for generating a whopping 23 lakh e-challans till March this year, a period of nine months.

Transporters had gone on strike earlier this week seeking a complete overhaul of the e-challan system, including cancellation of earlier ones, prompting the state government to set up a committee under Bhimanwar to look into the issue.

Officials said the new ITMS rollout will involve installation of speed guns, automatic number plate recognition cameras, CCTVs along with other enforcement tools.

Once operational, the system will auto-generate e-challans, which will be verified and issued by respective RTOs, with the implementing company getting compensated per challan issued, they added.

Maharashtra has more than 4 crore vehicles and witnesses some 35,000 fatal accidents annually.

The ITMS system will help in reducing road accidents and fatalities on major highways, said transport department officials.

However, a section of officials were sceptical about its effectiveness at black spots.

"How will installing ITMS at black spots prevent accidents? At best, it will only record them. Black spots will have to be eradicated through engineering and other means," a senior official of transport department said.

Last year, the transport department gave a contract worth Rs 22 crore to Ashok Buildon for supplying 69 radar mounted interceptor vehicles.

The department is yet to receive the vehicles, officials said.

The procurement of these vehicles, however, has courted controversy after a deputy RTO levelled corruption charges against the transport commissioner and additional transport commissioner in a letter to state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik. PTI KK BNM