App to be launched for reporting traffic violations in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: Uyir, a city-based forum floated by a group of doctors, educationists and industrialists to make roads accident-free, is planning to launch an app that will allow denizens photograph and report traffic violations.
It will be modelled after Public Eye, the official app of the Bangalore Traffic Police.

The idea of an app to report traffic violations came from a survey taken by Ganga Hospital, which found drivers responsible for almost 71% of the accidents.

“Their faults included red light jumping, rash driving, sleeping on the wheel, driving on the wrong side and using cell phones while driving, among others,” said chairman of the hospital Dr Rajasekaran, also a founder of Uyir. “People should realise that every traffic violation they do leads to a potential accident,” he told TOI.

The decision to emulate Public Eye was taken during discussions with the local police on accident prone zones, causes and enforcement issues.

“Public Eye has delivered good results in Bengaluru. So, we decided to develop a similar app for both iOS and Android phones. The photos will directly be sent to a police server, based on which they can take action,” said Vijay Mohan, a trustee. “The police department has expressed willingness to make use of the app, which will be launched within a few weeks.”

Police are working on giving Uyir a map that separates the city into 59 grids, of which 40 locations are the most accident-prone. 45% of the accidents happen there.

“We have collected Rs 4.5crore so far to set up infra, including hi-tech surveillance cameras that will function even during power outage and take pictures of license plates of vehicles that violate traffic rules. We will also be improving pedestrian crossing, pathways and barricades,” Mohan added.

Uyir aims at creating awareness on road safety and accident-free driving. “Our aim is to save lives lost unnecessarily due to road accidents,” chairman of the board of trustees of Uyir Dr Sanjay Jayavarthanavelu said. “We want to make road safety a mass movement and a responsibility of citizens.”