AI-Powered Billboard in Bengaluru Names and Shames Drivers With Pending Challans

The Bengaluru Traffic Police has installed what is believed to be India’s first AI-powered billboard that detects car licence plates and displays information about unpaid challans. Cameras capture images of cars’ registration information, and the computer powering the billboard then looks them up in the VAHAN database in real-time. If unresolved violations are on record, information about them will be displayed in an attempt to embarrass the vehicle owner and encourage compliance.

The billboard has been installed at Trinity Circle, a busy intersection on the extremely busy MG Road near the centre of the city, in cooperation with Crashfree India, a public service foundation dedicated to promoting road safety, backed by Cars24. 

As per local reports, the cameras have a range of 100m and it takes approximately 10 seconds to look up and display a car’s challan details. Social media posts show the billboard flashing a licence number along with details such as “your PUCC has expired”. Notices can also be displayed for unpaid fines and lapsed insurance. 

Interestingly, cars with no violations on record can also be highlighted as a way to reward their owners and drivers, and instill positive reinforcement. The potentially controversial move to publicly shame violators has drawn mixed though largely positive reactions online. 

While Bengaluru roads are already notorious for traffic congestion, vehicle ownerships is on the rise, with the latest Transport Department figures showing that 45,595 new bikes and 13,318 cars were registered in August 2025. This is not the first time that Bengaluru authorities have tried innovative schemes and more serious punishments to promote adherence to traffic rules and improve challan collection rates.