Kathua: Road safety and traffic management on key highways of Jammu and Kashmir are being strengthened with advanced technology. Work has begun on installing the Traffic Monitoring Control System (TMCS) along the Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway and the Jammu–Pathankot National Highway.  

High-definition PTZ (Pan–Tilt–Zoom) cameras, capable of rotating 360 degrees and monitoring up to 350 meters, are being mounted on highway dividers. These cameras will be integrated with both highway control rooms and police control rooms, enabling real-time monitoring of accidents, overspeeding, and traffic violations. Challans (fines) will be issued directly to offenders’ homes.  

Joint Control Room at Tarore

A central control room is being set up at Tarore in Samba district, which will oversee traffic activities round the clock. In addition, separate control rooms will be established at Lakhanpur, Sapwal, and along the Delhi–Katra Expressway to manage different road sections.  
The system will allow police authorities to access live feeds and shared recordings, ensuring swift action against violators. In the future, traffic and police personnel may also be deployed directly at these control rooms for enhanced coordination.  
The PTZ cameras are equipped with modern technology to capture images and short video clips of incidents. According to officials, the installation of these cameras marks the final stage of the project. As each package of the Delhi–Katra Expressway is completed, it will be equipped with TMCS surveillance.  
The initiative is expected to reduce accidents, ensure timely assistance, and enforce strict compliance with traffic rules. The Ministry of Road Transport has also issued new guidelines mandating such cameras at every kilometer in the future.  

Rajiv Kumar, Project Director, Highway Authority (PIU Jammu), stated that the integrated system will provide a new dimension to road safety in the region.