The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has expressed frustration over the significant delays in the implementation of the ₹197 crore Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) in Nagpur. The court directed the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and the project contractor to provide a timeline for when the new traffic signal system will become operational. This demand comes amid ongoing concerns regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of traffic management in the city.
A division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Rajnish Vyas was hearing a suo motu PIL based on a TOI report published on Dec 3, 2025, which had highlighted the deteriorating traffic signal system in the city. The report noted that Nagpur has 171 signalised junctions, while only 10 had been upgraded under the Keltron-led initiative. The judges then directed the contractor to place the assurance on affidavit and fixed Oct 1 for the next hearing.
The proceedings also brought renewed scrutiny to the existing traffic infrastructure. The court raised the issue of more than half of the city’s CCTV cameras reportedly being non-functional and sought details of steps taken by NMC and police to repair them. The court was particularly concerned about Dharampeth Science College-Ambazari stretch, where only one traffic signal is available and is frequently non-functional. This, it noted, results in vehicle queues stretching for nearly a kilometre. The court also observed that traffic police were not seen on the stretch and sought a report from the police on the issue.
Because nMC had not approved the project layout, during Wednesday’s hearing, the contractor told the court that locations for the new signals could not yet be finalised. Because the ITMS project had not yet been made functional, amicus curiae Utkarsh Khobragade told the court that during a visit to the municipal corporation, he was informed that the traffic signals were not being maintained. He assured that the signal work would be completed within three months after the layout is approved.