Social media to address traffic issues in Mangaluru

social-mediaManagaluru’s Dakshina Kannada district police has rolled out ‘Namma Traffic’ – an initiative for people to help them lodge their grievances related to traffic movement. It is available on WhatsApp and Facebook.

Under the innovative experiment , people can send in pictures of any type of traffic related violation to the designated ‘Namma Traffic’ Whatsapp number 9480805300.

It can also be sent in as a message to Namma Traffic’ Facebook account.The district police control room in turn will relay such information received to the jurisdictional police officers for necessary action.

“In case personnel or officer of police station concerned are busy with other duties and are not able to reach the place of offence in time, then the department will pursue other means of disciplining them,” said Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, Superintendent of Police.

In other case, the police will initiate action as per law and pass on the action taken report to the control room. This information will be hosted on the district police’s blog site – www.dkpolice.blogspot.in police station wise for information of people, he noted.

Assuring that confidentiality of complainant(s) will be kept, additional Superintendent of Police and PI, district control room will be the only ones who will have access to information so received on this WhatsApp number.

This will increase accountability among lower rung of district police towards traffic issues in their jurisdiction but also ensure public participation in addressing problems they face, the official said.

The complainants using either of these platforms to inform the police about traffic issues will be informed individually about action taken on their complaint, he said.

“We will also think about tying up with the Regional Transport Authority to send challans to errant motorists by post in case police are not able to catch them in the act,” the official added. The district police authorities have taken the issue of traffic control as seriously as it takes other law and order issues.