Have you ever found yourself and your friend making settlements with a traffic policeman on the busy roads of the city? Or found a challan sent to your home when you unknowingly crossed that signal? While this is a very common sight in India, the people on the other side of the coin i.e. the ones who obediently follow the traffic rules never get rewarded for doing the needful. Sounds unfair, right? Well, this Nagpur startup can change things 360 degrees super soon for the entire country and how.
Traffic Rewards, a groundbreaking Nagpur-based startup is reshaping the landscape of traffic rules and regulations. To enhance the existing system of penalties, this innovative startup aims to introduce incentives for drivers who consistently adhere to traffic rules.
Following its successful showcase at the 108th Indian Science Congress Exhibition, the company initiated a pilot program in collaboration with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Nagpur Municipal Corporation.
The pilot was implemented on West High Court Road in Nagpur, where mapping devices were installed at different traffic signals, undergoing thorough testing to ensure their effectiveness. Notably, the startup project is financially supported by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
How does this app work?
To explain the functioning of the rewards system, the company utilizes radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. These devices are installed on the traffic signals at the designated test site. Additionally, citizens who have connected to the app are provided with a tag that is affixed to their vehicles.
When a vehicle with a tag passes a device connected to the traffic signal, the RFID technology records whether the driver has adhered to the traffic rules. If they have, 10 reward points are instantly credited to their account on the ‘Traffic Rewards’ app.
The app features a wide range of domestic and international brands, including KFC, Pizza Hut, PVR, Radisson Blu, Pharmeasy, and others. Users can utilize their accumulated reward points for exclusive benefits provided by these brands. The aim is to foster a positive culture instead of relying solely on the fear of punishment. The devices have undergone extensive testing to ensure their reliability and effectiveness.
Is this for Mumbaikars?
While the idea is amazing, it is yet at its initial stages because when we tried registering for the application sitting in Mumbai with XYZ vehicle number and a random RC picture, a message popped up saying, “Your Pre-registration is successful. We will have the tag delivered to you once the project is launched. After the tag is delivered, you can log in using Traffic Rewards App. Please follow our Instagram to get the latest updates.”
Mind you, we used a random vehicle number and an image with No RC details where it asked for. Hence, it can be said that the idea for now for the non-Nagpur residents is just to promote the use cases of the application so that they can gear up before the launch.
Meanwhile, after its pilot in Nagpur, the application aims to cover the majority of the states in the country so that a uniform code can be applied in the nation when in terms of following traffic rules and getting rewarded for it.
How excited is Mumbai?
We spoke to several Mumbaikars to gauge their excitement about the launch of this rewarding application and here is what they had to say.
Kapil Gupta, a 26-year-old resident of Kandivali, said, “This is one of the coolest ideas I have heard of. This will not only bring discipline in driving but also give benefits to the driver due to which they follow proper traffic instructions and will drive safely.”
Anjali Sharma, a 28-year-old resident of Lower Parel, said, “My husband would be super excited to hear about this idea. He always follows traffic rules so I can imagine how many reward points he’ll be gaining when he starts using this application.”
On the other hand, Rishi Bhushan Sharma, a resident of Andheri, said, “While it will be easy to adapt for the netizens, to install it on every signal of the city like Mumbai will be a challenge. However, revolutions do take place and we do wait for this one as well.”
Another Mumbai resident believed that while the concept is good, it was just that he was concerned about the security of data and a bug-free tracking experience considering-- “the current state of signals in India is itself not the best.”
One citizen questioned the rewards of the application. “How will a Zomato/Swiggy delivery guy be able to make full use of these expensive rewards? Going to PVR or affording an interior design for a house might not be something a common man will be able to do. So, I am concerned about the offers. They should include more accessible options that can be used by anyone and everyone.”
On this, Gupta suggested rewarding netizens with a certain amount of money as small as Re 1 for gaining a certain number of points. While Mumbaikars are equally excited and concerned about the use cases of the application, Mumbai Police seemed sceptical about the idea unless its actual application comes into place. They had nothing much to say before that.
Social media, on the other hand, is super excited already. Influencers are promoting it in Nagpur and otherwise.
Well, Mumbaikars, what do you think about this application? Excited to get some rewards for following the rules? A piece of happy news for those on the other side of the coin? Write back to us with your views on the same.
