Delhi’s proposed Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) is set to give traffic police a real-time view of the city’s roads, from tracking stolen vehicles after an FIR to flagging accidents, traffic snarls, slow-moving stretches and sudden drops in vehicle speeds, senior officers said.
The HT had reported earlier that traffic police officials are often absent at critical junctions even during peak hours. If the vehicle continues to move within Delhi, the traffic zonal officer (ZO) concerned would receive an alert indicating that the vehicle is likely to enter their area at a particular time. The Delhi Traffic Police currently has a functional strength of about 5,000 traffic police officers, while 6,500 are sanctioned. Delhi records around 95-100 vehicle thefts every day, or roughly one theft every 14-15 minutes, according to police. About 35,000-40,000 motor vehicle theft cases are registered in the city annually. In 2025, Delhi Police registered around 35,014 such cases, according to the data provided by police.
The system, officers said, is also expected to generate real-time alerts about road accidents, traffic disruptions and stretches where vehicle speeds drop significantly. Joint commissioner of police (traffic) Sanjay Tyagi said one of the key benefits of the ITMS would be its ability to track stolen vehicles and alert traffic police about their movement. “If a vehicle is stolen and an FIR is registered at the concerned police station, an alert will be sent through the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) to the traffic inspector (TI) responsible for the area,” Tyagi said. The ITMS will be integrated with Delhi Police’s CCTNS as well as the Centre’s e-Sarathi and VAHAN platforms, officials said. Tyagi said the system would also enable police to anticipate the movement of a stolen vehicle.
