KAKKANAD: The Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) has launched a centralised WhatsApp number (7025950100) for the State to rein in road accidents and to book traffic violators, with the involvement of the public.
The initiative, which will be a major fillip to the Department’s ‘Third Eye’ project, is being implemented in association with Idea Cellular Limited. With the launch of the WhatsApp number, the Department aims at connecting with the public and collecting their feedback on traffic-related issues, in the form of messages, photos and videos.
“Until now, the public used to send complaints to the personal telephone number of the RTOs, MVIs’ and the Transport Commissioner. However, due to the sharp increase in the number of complaints, there have been delays in taking action aginst the offenders,” Said Transport commissioner R Sreelekha. The complaints registered through the ‘app’ will be monitored at the MVD’s automated control room at Kakkanad, where a dedicated staff will be deployed for the purpose.
“The staff will monitor each and every message sent through the app, and send memos to the RTOs concerned. All the members of the WhatsApp group will have access to the messages sent by the public,” Sreelekha said. “At the end of every day, all the complaints will be scrutinised, for details like their number and the action taken,” she added. It is also learnt that the Department is working on a project to link the WhatsApp complaint redressal system with a software installed at the Automated Enforcement System. “The software for the project is being developed, and will be launched soon,” said a Motor Vehicle Inspector.