Patna: Bihar is set to introduce a high-tech traffic enforcement system across 27 district headquarters, with online challans for violations and the installation of modern Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and smart traffic signals.
The move, announced by Sudhanshu Kumar, Additional Director General of Bihar Police, aims to streamline traffic management and reduce congestion. “Following the model implemented in Patna, ANPR cameras will now monitor major cities across the state, issuing e-challans directly to offenders without the need for physical intervention,” Kumar said.
ANPR cameras operate using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to read vehicle number plates even at high speeds, converting them into digital records transmitted to police control rooms. The system will automatically generate fines for offences such as jumping red lights, riding without helmets, or “triple-riding” on two-wheelers. Officials say the initiative will also help track stolen vehicles and digitise traffic management.
In Patna, the project is expanding beyond municipal limits, with new signals and cameras planned for Danapur Nizamat, the southern stretch of the New Bypass, and Zero Mile. The system currently operates at 30 locations in the city, with surveys underway in other districts and full implementation expected by the next financial year.
The state is also investing in police infrastructure. A 30-acre plot in Naubatpur has been allocated for a new headquarters for the Bihar Special Armed Police (B-SAP) 1st Gorkha Battalion, with Rs 40 crore sanctioned. In addition, four new police stations, a superintendent’s residence, and sub-divisional offices are being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore, all three-storied buildings with modern facilities.
Officials say these steps will improve policing standards and enhance public safety while addressing the chronic traffic congestion in Bihar’s growing urban centres.
