VIJAYAWADA: Around 2,731 complaints were registered on the ‘Citizen Driven Enforcement on Road Safety Initiative’ (WhatsApp number 9542800800) brought out by the transport department until December 14 to provide opportunities for the citizens to lodge complaints pertaining to traffic violations by taking a photograph. The initiative was launched by Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah on August 28. In the beginning, the initiative evoked a poor response from the public as only 105 complaints (till September 23) were made across the State using the platform.
Now, of the total complaints received through the platform, a total of 1,444 were registered in Visakhapatnam, highest in the State while Anantapur has the lowest (nine complaints). The officials have served notices on 2,731 violators and imposed fines based on the violation under Section 200 of Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.
“As a result of the awareness programmes organised by the deputy transport commissioners (DTCs) in their respective districts, the public has started posting pictures of violations after they came across them on the roads. Of the complaints received, most of the violations pertain to helmet-less driving, driving while using mobiles, triple riding and number plate violations,’’ said DTC S Venkateswara Rao.
He requested the public to take this move seriously and do the needful. Violators can read the e-vehicle check report (VCR) created in their names and can pay the fine amount by logging on to the website https://aprtacitizen.epragathi.org/#!/appstatus. People can use the Notecam application to take photos to ensure clarity, he added.