Bhayandar : With complaints against errant auto-drivers piling up, the traffic wing of the Thane (rural) police is gone on an overdrive to launch a commuter-friendly mobile application aimed at curbing such incidents. The application will shortly be introduced in Mira Bhayandar, followed by its replication in other cities under the jurisdiction of the Thane (rural) police.
Embedded with a barcode, the smart stickers will be pasted on the backrest of the auto driver’s seat and will contain identity details including name, photo, Aadhar, batch and licence numbers of the driver and ownership status of the rickshaw, along with helpline numbers of cops.
An option of installing the Android-based Safe Journey app is available at the download store of mobile phones.
In case of an emergency, the commuter can open the application, scan the bar code and the details of the driver and the vehicle will be automatically diverted to the registered email of their kin. Authorities are also mooting the idea of enhancing the app’s features in the coming days by linking access to social media platforms and also adding a GPS-enabled SOS emergency button, which would immediately generate a distress call with the current location of the aggrieved to the local police station.
The smart sticker has a price tag of Rs 200, but it is optional for the auto driver to fix them on their vehicles, raising a question mark on the success of the project.
“Though the scheme is voluntary, all local rickshaw unions have promised to actively participate in the drive and the process of data collection has begun. Apart from enhancing security, this will also help us weed out illegally plying autos,” said a police officer.
