From now on, if you see someone in Andhra talking on the phone while driving, jumping a signal or doing something reckless on the road, you can do more than just murmur your disapproval. Andhra Pradesh citizens can now report traffic violations by sending photos over WhatsApp directly to the transport department.
The ‘citizen-driven enforcement of road safety’ initiative was launched in Vijayawada on Wednesday by Minister of Transport Perni Venkataramaiah. The minister said that the initiative will help in enabling citizens to participate in improving road safety in the state.
The facility allows citizens to report any ‘visible’ traffic violations by sending a photograph with the license plate of the offending vehicle clearly visible on WhatsApp to the number 9542800800. The list of visible offences includes riding without a helmet, talking on the phone while driving, driving in the wrong direction, jumping signals etc. Dangerous practices like overcrowding autos and school buses with excess passengers, riding two-wheelers with more than two people, and transporting goods without covering them with tarpaulin can also be reported with photographic evidence.
Apart from these violations, road accidents and crashes can also be reported on the number. The Transport Department has assured that without revealing the sender’s identity, the complaints will be verified by officials, after which e-challans will be sent to the violator directly, based on the vehicle registration number.
“This will make people more self-aware, because now it’s not just traffic police checking for violations at a few locations. If they are mindful that the public can also report them, it can improve road safety,” Venkataramaiah said. He assured that the move was not meant to create fear among motorists or to penalise them, but to avoid accidents.
Earlier this year, similar initiatives were launched in Kerala, in Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram, where they are run by the local police authorities. The Chennai traffic police had also launched an app in June this year for similar purposes.