Click on and Send, one of the new initiatives launched by the city police to encourage the public to send them images of traffic violations through WhatsApp, has evoked warm response. Within just a week after its launch, the police received 616 confidential complaints on their WhatsApp helpline number: 6238488686.
The traffic police said the fine amount collected till Thursday evening was ₹28,800. Fine was imposed mainly on the basis of 77 petitions received on the WhatsApp helpline. The details of action taken on each complaint were also made available to complainants.
The police said action was taken only on credible complaints which specified the time of occurrence and place with clear photographs. Three persons who sent the best images with details tracking dangerous violations would be honoured soon with the ‘Good Samaritan’ certificate and it would be repeated every week, they said.
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Complainants captured helmetless rides, unlawful parking, violation of lane traffic, use of mobile phones while driving, overload, one-way rule violations, and illegal alteration of vehicles. On the first day itself, the police received 162 messages, making the initiative an instant hit.
Though the WhatsApp number was active last year, it was only after the launch of Click on and Send initiative, more people started using it. The traffic police said the initiative was part of the Zero Hour special drive for road safety announced by District Police Chief (Kozhikode city) K. Sanjay Kumar Gurudin.
The police had earlier come up with a special Facebook page urging the public to share confidential information on traffic rule violations with them. Qkopy, a free social networking app, too was in use to circulate and receive traffic-related information for better enforcement.
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