New Delhi: Delhi Traffic Police received 10,114 complaints of traffic violations since the relaunch of Traffic Prahari application. Most complaints were about not wearing helmets, parking on footpaths, driving against traffic, improper parking, and defective number plates.

The Traffic Sentinel app was relaunched as Traffic Prahari on Sept 1. Until Dec 3, as many as 10,114 complaints were received; 7,435 people used the app, and it was downloaded 14,526 times.

According to police, the Traffic Prahari application empowers citizens to actively participate in traffic regulation by reporting a wide range of offences. These offences include, but are not limited to, dangerous or erratic driving, failure to wear helmets, illegal parking on footpaths, driving against flow of traffic, improper parking, vehicles with defective number plates, non-compliance with seat belt regulations, violation of yellow line markings, red-light violations, triple riding on motorcycles, and other traffic infractions. "This app also enables users to report instances of misconduct, overcharging, or harassment by auto and taxi drivers, or their refusal to provide transportation services," the officer said.

To facilitate efficient reporting, the application allows users to capture visual evidence of the offence by clicking photographs or recording videos. Additionally, users can provide detailed information about the incident, including the specific time and date, registration number of the offending vehicle, and a description of the violation. "It enables citizens to report real-time traffic violations by uploading photos and videos, helping police to address these effectively," the officer added.

The traffic police headquarters in Todapur oversees the management and processing of all complaints received through the application. A dedicated team of officials is responsible for reviewing the submitted reports, taking appropriate action, and ensuring that offenders are held accountable. Also, the complainant can see the progress of the case in the application. Police said the information provided was essential to issue a notice under Section 133 of Motor Vehicles Act. GPS coordinates, date and time are automatically extracted from the mobile device. The acceptance or rejection of the reported traffic violation is decided by traffic police headquarters.

Citizens will be rewarded monthly for their proactive efforts, with rewards ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000. Five people will get the rewards. Before the relaunch, 15,127 complaints were received, and 4,213 people used the app from Jan 1 to Aug 29. "The relaunch and subsequent enhancements have further amplified the app's impact, making it a valuable tool for improving road safety and traffic discipline in Delhi," special commissioner of police (traffic) Ajay Chaudhary said.