21 Feb 2018  |   06:01am IST

EARNING AND LEARNING AS TRAFFIC SENTINELS

The Traffic Sentinel Scheme was recently launched, wherein citizens can report traffic violations on WhatsApp and earn cash rewards. The scheme is receiving a great response from the tech-savvy youth. Café takes a closer look

The days of hiding from the traffic police have

ended as on every junction of the street, the common man is now keeping an eye out for traffic offenders. If you thought that not wearing your helmet for a short distance would not catch the attention of the authorities, now citizens are become sentinels for the traffic police and their one single photo will make you bear the price of the challan.

Under the latest scheme, titled, Traffic Sentinel Scheme, any person can report a traffic violation by capturing the photo/video of the defaulting vehicle and sending it through WhatsApp on mobile number 7875756110, Email at [email protected] or the Facebook page of the Goa Traffic Police. Once the traffic sentinel accumulates 100 points, they will be given a cash reward of Rs 1,000. Once 100 points are accumulated, the sentinel will be intimated via email. The photo/video should be clicked/recorded by turning their GPS on. Details like the date, time and place as well as nature of violation should also be sent with the photo/video with clear view of registration number of the defaulting vehicle.

“Nearly 19,000 citizens have registered to the WhatsApp number and we are constantly receiving messages with photos. We can receive nearly 300 to 500 messages from a single person in a day and not a single violation goes unnoticed. The violators are issued notices under the Motor Vehicle Act and asked to settle charges at Traffic Cell Headquarters in Altinho, Panjim,” says Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Dinraj Govekar.

The scheme of Goa Police provides financial incentives to citizens who help the cops in nabbing traffic violators. The second batch of 17 traffic sentinels who scored more than 100 points were awarded this month, with the highest amount earner receiving Rs 69,000. “Every month, traffic sentinels will be awarded according to their points. We receive more photographs compared to videos, which are very rare. The Supreme Court can suspend the license of a frequent offender, for minimum of three months,” informs Govekar.

The police plans to involve college students in the process of curbing traffic violations by making them traffic sentinels. “We are visiting colleges and the university and sending out pamphlets for youngsters to join in the scheme. There is a huge involvement of the youth in this scheme. We also conduct special drives around schools and colleges against minors riding or triple riding and rash riding. Through this scheme, we have noticed a considerate drop in offences around school and colleges,” he says.

Traffic sentinels can report multiple violations in a single photograph or video, and a single person on a journey can be booked multiple times in a day.

If safety was not a priority before the scheme, the fear of being caught on camera by the next mobile user is making drivers and riders more aware of traffic rules. “People now think twice before breaking any traffic rules. The fear is now coming in that someone will click their photograph even if they are not caught by a traffic police officer,” Govekar concludes.