Chennai: Traffic violators beware! You’re being watched

CHENNAI: If you are a chronic violator of traffic rules then beware. Before the traffic policeman catches you, your fellow motorist might call you out. Outnumbered by violators, the Chennai traffic police have reached out to the public for help and have launched a mobile app through which the citizens can report traffic violations.
The GCTP Citizen Services app, which will be available from next week on Android and iOS, can be used to report any traffic violation — helmet-less riding, jumping signals, illegal parking, riding triple or even more, recklessly driven MTC buses, using phone while driving and many more —to the traffic police.The police department has been developing the app for a year now and after several reviews it was launched at the police commissionerate on Friday by police commissioner A K Vishwanathan.

Following maps or reading forwards? We don’t know that, but we can tell you for sure that the law says both rider and pillion should wear helmets and the phone should be out of sight
The app will let users take photographs of the violators on the spot and upload them. However, users cannot upload a photograph from their phone gallery, it has to be taken on the spot. This has been done to prevent users from uploading morphed images to settle personal scores or mislead police.
“The app will automatically detect the location, date and time and forward it to the officer concerned,” said joint commissioner of police, traffic, R Sudhakar.

If the violation is substantiated with evidence, the traffic police will issue a challan and send it to the violators’ address. Citizens can monitor progress on their complaints through the app with the help of a ticket number. The officer who initiates an action will upload his or her remarks, which the user can view.
“If the complainant does not receive any response on the action taken on a particular violation, he or she can escalate it to the next level officer,” said deputy commissioner, traffic (east), Sree Abhinav. Besides raising complaints, the app allows users check details of challans pending in their name and pay online.
Commissioner Vishwanathan said the app would empower citizens. “Enforcement has been simplified and with such tightened measures in place, people should think twice before violating any rule,” he said. He urged citizens not to misuse the app. “The complainants should first follow traffic rules and then pin to others and click photographs,” he said.