Social networking to help you surf roads smoothly
August 18, 2011 by admin
Filed under Lingerie Events
AHMEDABAD: If traffic jams near your residence bother you, or you have problems with the way it is being handled, all you need to do now is to leave a post on social networking sites.
With police in metros and even mega cities such as Pune, Hyderabad and Chandigarh dedicating pages on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, Ahmedabad Traffic Police has joined the bandwagon.
These sites will provide a platform for police-public interaction. While official announcements are yet to be made, officials have started popularizing the page to know the public’s response in the matter.
“You can report traffic violations like rowdy bikers or overstuffed school rickshaws. Through this social-networking site you can also suggest ways to counter the growing traffic problem, or simply get to know what the situation is like at a given street owing to protests and bandh calls,” said a traffic police official.
Nilesh Jajadia, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), told TOI that the step has been taken keeping in mind the social networking site’s popularity and its success in other cities.
“We wanted to provide citizens with a platform where they can bring in their issues and they can also post photos or videos. The forum will be used to inform citizens about any major event or roadblocks in advance so that they can plan their journey accordingly. An official email id will also be issued soon,” he said.
Jajadia is confident of using the site as an identification tool as well. “Now with increasing use of mobile phone cameras, we can get footage or pictures from commuters when they see something wrong. With the registration number of the vehicle taken from the footage, we can take action against the offenders. When the CCTV camera network on city roads will come into place, both the systems will be integrated. It would work as a definite proof of the offence, leaving the offender with no excuse,” said Jajadia.
All you have to do is become a member of the social networking site and you will get regular city-traffic updates. Traffic police officials said that the account will be integrated with other social networking sites, where important announcements can be subscribed to by citizens.
“We first want to see what the public’s reaction is. Once the system starts functioning, it can work wonders as is the case with other cities. With easy access to social networking sites on mobile phones, citizens can add and receive latest updates,” said a senior traffic branch official.
Officials added that two constables will be specially trained to check the updates and inform concerned departments about complaints or offenders.
