Honest 836 Report post Posted June 22, 2008 SMS service soon to alert motorists about traffic snarls 22 Jun, 2008, 1241 hrs IST, PTI MUMBAI: Are you sceptical about the traffic situation at one of the many snarl-prone spots in the city before starting a journey? Traffic police have the answer. Starting in a month, motorists will be able to get updates on traffic situation at different spots across the city by sending SMSes to a convenient five-digit number. "We have already applied for the number with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and expect to start the service in a month's time," Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sanjay Barve told reporters here. Support infrastructure like integrating of the traffic control room with the SMS service by the way of which users will be able to get the updates is already being created, he said. Citing an example, Barve said, "Suppose you wish to travel from Chembur to Dadar and are doubtful about the traffic situation at Everard Nagar junction. You just SMS 'LOC REP', which stands for location report, to the five-digit number and immediately get a reply." "The user will have to pay higher SMS charges to get the elicited reply as per the regulations but he can at least plan out his trip in a better way and take another route to complete the journey," Barve said. The traffic police are currently in talks with various private companies to sponsor the project so that the cost to the end user is minimised, Barve said. "A small message from the sponsor will be included in the reply message. It is a very good medium for the private companies to advertise," he said. The SMS service will especially be useful during the monsoons when traffic snarls are reported from various spots in the city, Barve said. The launch of the service will be advertised thoroughly through various mediums like the electronic signboards installed across the city, he said. Motorists in the city can currently complain about the traffic situation by sending an SMS to a similar number or by calling a toll free number. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
