Pune, 9th August 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), through the Smart City project, has modernised traffic signals at 125 junctions with the Adaptive Traffic Management System (ATMS). This system adjusts signal timings according to traffic density, helping vehicles get multiple consecutive green lights and reducing the need to stop at every junction.
The ATMS project was launched in 2022 to tackle congestion, regulate signal timings automatically, provide countdown displays for drivers, and allow central monitoring of city traffic. Alongside signals, cameras have been installed to track vehicle movement. The project cost nearly ₹133 crore for installation and networking, with another ₹52 crore earmarked for maintenance.
Initially, the system faced several glitches and generated numerous complaints, prompting multiple review meetings between PMC, traffic police, and Smart City officials. In 2024, PMC paid the contractor ₹30 crore for upgrades, after which the system's performance improved significantly. Today, many major routes in the city experience smoother traffic flow, particularly in stretches like Laxmi Road to Dandekar Bridge, where consecutive green lights make travel quicker.
However, challenges remain during the monsoon. Heavy rains slow down vehicles, increase four-wheeler usage, and cause signal timings to fall short, leading to fresh congestion. Authorities believe integrating Google Maps data could enhance the system further by monitoring entire road stretches instead of only junctions, allowing more precise adjustments.
According to Additional Commissioner Prithviraj B.P., coordination between PMC, Smart City, and traffic police has improved response times to complaints. “We are addressing issues quickly, which has increased the number of vehicles getting uninterrupted green signals. Future upgrades will make the system even better,” he said.
The improvements have already reduced congestion on key roads by about 15%, increased average vehicle speeds by 10%, and enabled nearly 70% of vehicles to pass through junctions without stopping. This not only saves fuel but also reduces air pollution in the city.
