The residents of Ghaziabad are now able to communicate with the district’s traffic police via social media platforms, somewhat bringing under control the regular spats between the traffic personnel and commuters.
Rakesh Kumar, SP (traffic), Ghaziabad, met with his team on Sunday to discuss the issue. He said owing to the low strength of the traffic police compared to the load in the city, altercations between cops and commuters were becoming a daily occurrence. This only tarnished the image of the department and created a bad name for them.
Speaking to City Spidey, Kumar, confirmed that online communication via social apps did result in better communication between the residents and the department. He added, “Over 95 percent of the issues reported are relayed within hours of messaging.” The apps have been instrumental in reaching out to the people, he said.
Residents can message their grievances via whatsapp on 9643322904; they can also post on Twitter @gzbtrafficpol, the official Twitter handle of the city’s traffic police. The SP also stressed that any reports of misbehaviour would be dealt with severity.
However, reporting via social apps, too, isn’t always enough to get a reaction, observes Milind Manasvi, a resident of Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. Opening up to City Spidey, he said, “True, connecting through online platforms is a fast way of getting feedback. But, the grievances posted on such platforms stop getting response eventually. Take for instance a similar whatsapp number introduced by the SP (city) and the helpline numbers on Delhi autorickshaws. Though a lot of complaints are being made, no action has been taken yet.”