Since its implementation on July 19, 2024, the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway has generated over 17 lakh e-challans worth ₹269.47 crore for various traffic violations. However, only 1.51 lakh challans, or around 9%, have been cleared, resulting in a recovery of just ₹25.17 crore till March 2025, according to official data.
ITMS Project on Mumbai-Pune Expressway Raises Cost and Oversight Concerns
An RTI revealed that the Maharashtra government paid ₹57.94 crores to the ITMS operator, Proctech Solutions ITMS LLP, for issuing 8.84 lakh challans between July and December 2024. The operator receives ₹654.90 per challan, which includes ₹555 as their share and 18% GST. The project, costing over ₹100 crores, is being developed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model with ₹45 crore viability gap funding from the Road Safety Fund.
The ITMS infrastructure includes 40 gantries and hundreds of cameras, along with features like speed detectors, ANPR, weigh-in-motion sensors, weather sensors, dynamic message boards, and a Command and Control Centre (CCC). Once a violation is detected, it is verified at the CCC by the operator’s staff and then approved by RTO officials. E-challans have been issued for offences such as over-speeding, not wearing seat belts, lane cutting, driving on the wrong side, and mobile phone use while driving.
Approval Lapses and Rising Opposition Cloud ITMS E-Challan System on Expressway
November 2024 saw the highest number of e-challans at 2.81 lakh, followed by 2.66 lakh in December and 2.56 lakh in January. However, of the 18.25 lakh e-challans generated between July 2024 and January 2025, only 12 lakhs were approved, while 6.25 lakh were rejected by RTOs.
Controversy surrounds the project’s approval and implementation. ITMS went live in March 2024 without prior device approval under Rule 167 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules. Approval was only granted post-launch by the Transport Commissioner in July 2024, without technical verification. Critics argue the operator lacks sufficient experience and allege that the e-challan system prioritizes profit over genuine road safety. Transporters have voiced strong opposition, calling for regulatory oversight to prevent indiscriminate challaning that threatens the viability of the transport sector.
Summary:
Since July 2024, ITMS on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway issued 17 lakh e-challans worth ₹269 crores, but only 9% have been paid. Critics highlight approval lapses, inexperience of the operator, and profit-driven motives. Transporters demand oversight amid concerns that indiscriminate challaning is harming the road transport industry’s sustainability and trust.
