Hyderabad: Hyderabad’s Outer Ring Road (ORR), one of India’s busiest access-controlled expressways, is set to undergo a major technological upgrade aimed at curbing accidents and traffic snarls. With vehicles often clocking speeds of 120 kmph and frequent lane violations by cars and heavy vehicles, the Hyderabad police are pushing for stricter enforcement of lane discipline.City police commissioner VC Sajjanar has written to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), stressing the urgent need for automated systems to penalise errant drivers who change lanes recklessly. Currently, the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) on the ORR uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to issue challans for speeding and wrong-side driving. However, lane violations continue to go unchecked.HMDA officials point to the Mumbai–Pune Expressway as a model. There, ANPR cameras, drones, and rumble strips have been deployed to enforce lane discipline. Vehicles straying from designated lanes are automatically flagged, and challans are sent to their owners. Rumble strips create vibrations and noise when drivers attempt to cross lanes abruptly, discouraging sudden swerves. Authorities claim that accidents dropped by nearly 30% after the system was introduced.On Hyderabad’s ORR, stretches between Gachibowli, Kokapet, Nanakramguda, and Shamshabad have become accident-prone zones due to indiscriminate lane changes by lorries and cars. Officials warn that without strict enforcement, risks on this international-standard expressway will continue to rise. Plans are now underway to extend ITMS capabilities to detect and penalise lane violations, bringing ORR closer to global safety benchmarks.Once technology-backed enforcement begins, driver behaviour is expected to improve significantly. As the ORR is designed for high-speed travel, maintaining lane discipline is not just a matter of convenience but a critical safety requirement.
