Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday inaugurated Phase-I of the City Surveillance and Traffic Management System — a state-of-the-art initiative aimed at enhancing public safety, improving traffic management, and ensuring law enforcement through advanced AI-based surveillance. Developed at a cost of Rs 21.60 crore, the system integrates 351 high-resolution CCTV cameras at 17 critical locations across Mohali.
Mann, speaking at the event, emphasized that this initiative is a major step towards curbing traffic violations, reducing accidents, and strengthening law enforcement. “This system is not meant to generate revenue through challans, but to protect lives and improve public security," he said, urging residents to follow traffic rules to ensure their own safety.
A key highlight of the new system is the automated e-challan mechanism, which captures traffic violations through AI-enabled cameras and directly sends electronic challans to offenders’ registered addresses. The Integrated Command and Control Center (ICCC), located at Sector-79, monitors real-time violations, including red light jumping, overspeeding, triple riding on two-wheelers, helmet-less riding, wrong-side driving, and stop line and zebra crossing violations.
According to officials, the system is expected to generate 5,000 to 6,000 challans per day, making traffic enforcement more efficient. Punjab Police will be integrating the system with NIC’s VAHAN and SARATHI databases for instant verification of vehicle and driver details.
Officials revealed that within one week of trial runs, the system detected 2.14 lakh traffic violations among 34 lakh vehicles entering Mohali. This staggering number highlighted the urgent need for stricter traffic enforcement to prevent road accidents. “Last year, Mohali recorded 536 road accidents, resulting in 312 deaths. This system will help bring down these alarming numbers,” said the Chief Minister.
Mann also announced that after the success of Phase-1, the Punjab Government is planning Phase-2, which will cover additional locations across the district. The next phase will introduce AI-Driven Adaptive Traffic Control Systems (ATCS); smart traffic lights adjusting to real-time traffic flow; unified traffic corridors in Mohali, Kharar, Zirakpur, and Derabassi.
“With Mohali growing as a commercial, IT, and residential hub, ensuring smooth traffic movement is crucial. This technology-driven approach will reduce congestion and improve public convenience,” Mann added.
Smart Policing with 24x7 Monitoring
To ensure the smooth functioning of the surveillance system, a 24x7 control room has been set up at Sohana police station in Sector-79. The police will have access to live footage of every major road and intersection, allowing them to respond quickly to traffic incidents, crime, and emergencies.
Additionally, the system features 175 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras; 50 Red Light Violation Detection (RLVD) cameras; 92 Bullet Cameras for general surveillance; 18 PTZ (Pan, Tilt, Zoom) cameras for high-precision monitoring; and speed violation detection systems at two key locations.
Officials confirmed that with these high-tech tools, police can now track stolen vehicles, identify criminals, and prevent crimes before they happen.
Mann reaffirmed his government’s vision of making Punjab a model state for smart policing and urban security. “This project marks a new era in governance where technology plays a vital role in ensuring safety, reducing traffic fatalities, and improving law enforcement efficiency. We are committed to building safer and smarter cities in Punjab,” he said.
With Mohali leading the way, similar AI-driven surveillance projects are planned for Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Rupnagar, and Ludhiana in the coming months.