The service was inaugurated by actor Hrithik Roshan and Commissioner of Police Ahmed Javed on Tuesday.
An average Mumbaikar spends a quarter of his life commuting in traffic, but now the Mumbai Traffic Police is offering solutions. Citizens will be able to call a helpline to get information on traffic jams, alternate routes, road blocks and diversions. The service was inaugurated by actor Hrithik Roshan and Commissioner of Police Ahmed Javed on Tuesday. The helpline number is 8454999999.
"This is an opportunity for me to represent every citizen in this city and this will empower us with information to become more productive. This is a brilliant idea. Make the best use of it," said Mr Roshan.
The call centre will also provide citizens with information on the best routes to reach their destination. The helpline will be handled by around 80 constables who will be available as soon as a citizen calls.
The new service will be available on SMS, WhatsApp and a mobile application apart from calls. Citizens will be able to get information on parking availability, applications and permissions and towed vehicles as well. Citizens will also be able to report traffic-related incidents as well.
"Today the service is at a nascent stage but as we get more familiar and our constables are more used to the system it will develop into a citizen-oriented solution to Mumbai's traffic solution," Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Milind Bharambe said.
"People have never shied away from telling us about the traffic problems in Mumbai and most of the time it has been angry feedback from commuters. This service will hopefully ensure that commuters will have information on demand and they will not have to complain after having a bad experience with traffic," Mr Javed said.