HYDERABAD: You click a picture of a group of boys triple riding on a bike, and report it. Just as you mutter under your breath about traffic violators, you get to unlock freebies such as cash in your Amazon wallet, a seven-day fitness pass at cult.fit or discounts at other stores! Well, this is your reward for reporting a traffic violation through the Traffic Sahayak app.
Started in Pune in December 2018, this app, from the startup Collective Limitless Ambitious Smart Solutions Pvt Ltd, went pan-India last month. Currently available on Android (iOS version expected later this year), the app has seen approximately 400 installs from the Hyderabad region in the past one month. Over five lakh violations have been reported by over 9,300 organic unique users, with daily 2,300 active users contributing around 2,100 violations per day.
Siddhant Malani, the founder and CEO says, “Today confronting a traffic violator is a contentious issue. There are arrogant illiterate or educated over smart, and dangerous motorists across the length and breadth of the country who are collectively responsible for about 80 per cent violations.”
How does the app work?
The app enables citizens to report multiple violations through videos. They can report 25 varieties of violations such as wrong side driving, signal jumping, triple seat riding, fancy number plates, tinted glasses, etc. The violations are categorised as Not so Severe, Severe and Very Severe (giving them 5, 10, and 15 credits, respectively) according to which users earn credits in return for every genuine violation contributed by the users. A moderation team analyses the data allowed in the form of video clips of 5 to 20 seconds via an in-app camera.
Users record the clips and submit them along with the vehicle number and violation committed. “A video clip could nail multiple violations by multiple vehicles,” says Siddhant. The CEO adds a word of caution: “We discourage citizens using the app while driving. They may do it while stationary at a junction/roadside, or when someone else is driving/riding.”
Incentivising the users
The users unlock vouchers and freebies in return for the credits they have accumulated. An incentive keeps the users motivated to continue the social good. Vouchers and freebies from Amazon, Dunzo, Pepperfry, Flipkart, Myntra among the leading brands are available. There is an official tie-up with all these brands, informs Siddhant. Aiming for one lakh app installs, “A newer version enabled with voice commands will be rolled out soon for drivers who can operate certain features on the app with a touch less experience,” adds Siddhant.
Credits on the app are earned for
— Tamanna S Mehdi tamanna @newindianexpress.com @tamannamehdi