17 Lakh E-Challans, 91% Unpaid: Is Mumbai-Pune’s Traffic Tech Broken?

The Mumbai-Pune Expressway’s high-tech e-challan system, launched to improve road safety, has come under fire after a year of operation. Despite issuing a staggering 17 lakh e-challans worth Rs 269 crore since July 2024, only 9% of the fines have been recovered, raising serious questions about the system’s accuracy, transparency, and intent.

 

Key Highlights:

 

The Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS), rolled out by MSRDC with RTO and Highway Police, uses 40 gantries, hundreds of CCTV cameras, speed detectors, and AI-backed systems to automate traffic fine issuance for 17 types of violations, including overspeeding, lane-cutting, and mobile use while driving.

 

Of the 17 lakh e-challans issued, only 1.51 lakh (worth Rs 25.17 crore) have been paid, exposing a huge enforcement gap and public reluctance to pay.

 

RTI revelations show that more than 6.24 lakh fines—over one-third—were wrongly generated and later cancelled, with many motorists fined for violations they did not commit. This has led to widespread frustration and financial strain, especially among transporters and daily commuters.

 

The private operator running ITMS, Proctech Solutions ITMS LLP, has already earned Rs 57.94 crore for issuing e-challans, fueling criticism that the system profits from mass fines rather than improving safety.

The project, costing over Rs 100 crore, was launched without mandatory approvals and proper device certification, further undermining its legitimacy.

Transport unions are threatening strikes, demanding a review of the ITMS algorithms, more transparency, and easier ways to contest false fines.

 

Calls are growing for a human audit mechanism to prevent such errors and restore public trust in traffic enforcement.

 

Source: Moneycontrol, Trak.in, PuneNow, Times of India