Sikkim, nestled in the eastern Himalayas, is poised to witness a transformative leap in its transportation infrastructure. Come May 25, the state will inaugurate an innovative AI-driven traffic management system, marking a significant milestone in its quest for modernization. Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, this pioneering system promises to revolutionize how traffic flows through the state's winding mountain roads. Developed in collaboration with leading technology firms and transportation experts, the system integrates cutting-edge algorithms with real-time data to optimize traffic patterns, enhance safety, and minimize congestion.
The system aims to modernise traffic management and improve regulation efficiency by automatically verifying documents and detecting violations. "With a view to modernise traffic management and enhance the efficiency and accuracy of traffic regulation, Sikkim government is introducing Artifical Intellegence-driven traffic management system," the transport department said. Sikkim will introduce an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven traffic management system throughout the state from May 25.The state transport department made the announcement on Tuesday after running trials of the new system at various places for about a week.“In this first phase, the system has been installed in 16 points across Sikkim. Depending on the feedback from police, we will install the system at additional places in the second phase,” Raj Yadav, the secretary of the transport department, told The Telegraph.
The system has been set up at four places in Gangtok powered by advanced AI algorithms automatically detects the validity of documents like insurance, and fitness pollution and immediately generates e-challans.“Since the data of all vehicles in the country have been uploaded on NIC (National Informatics Centre), the system on reading the registration number can scan the document details of the vehicle,” said Yadav. Apart from hauling up document defaulters, the system that encompasses cameras can detect and fine traffic violations such as speeding, jumping signals and improper lane usage among others. This is the first time that an AI-driven traffic management system has been introduced in the region. Since the start of the trial period, people in Sikkim have been rushing to get their documents, especially pollution certificates, updated. “There is a huge rush. In fact, we kept our pollution centre in Gangtok open even on Sunday to tackle the rush,” said an employee of the centre. The new system is also expected to ensure better traffic control in Gangtok, where traffic congestion is the norm, especially during peak tourism seasons.