Citizens wield traffic app to help Pune city police take action

Pune: The post-merger civic limits of Pune today span around 518 sq km, making PMC the largest municipality area in Maharashtra. The city's streets are inundated with two-, three- and four-wheelers, buses, trucks, tempos and all kinds of other vehicles, with congestion levels zooming up by 5.4% from 2024 to 2025, according to the TomTom Traffic Index.Amid this boom, thousands of instances of road indiscipline come to the fore daily, even as CCTV cover is nowhere near adequate to keep watch on offenders. To top it all, deputy commissioner of police (DCP-traffic) Himmat Jadhav admitted to TOI that there are just around 675-700 traffic police personnel on ground on any given day to invigilate this immense road network. At such a juncture, citizens become crucial allies and stakeholders in maintaining law and order to the best of their ability. The Pune Traffic Police (PTP) app — launched by late deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on June 15, 2025 — was a step in this direction. Aimed at empowering the extra set of eyes provided by app users, the portal is now aiding the police in location and penalizing traffic rule violators. Since it went live, around 2,40,000 complaints have been submitted, of which 1,70,000 translated into challans, while the rest were declined. Fast, easy and safe Wagholi resident Siraj Dokadia said he often notices all sorts of traffic violations on his way to work in Kharadi. Initially, he reported these on social network X. Now, he uses the PTP app, calling it "a good initiative to make reporting faster". "While reporting on social media, one has to write out everything from location, time and number plate to the photo. The app makes it easier by capturing the time and location on its own, leaving me only to pick the violation and enter the licence plate number. It also gives me details about whether a challan has been issued or not after my submission, which is a great follow-up to know that your efforts aren't going to waste. It is pretty speedy in resolution, and the anonymity feature makes it safe, too," Dokadia told TOI. "The police cannot be everywhere, and as a motorist, it is disheartening to see road violations going unreported. The opportunity to be a part of the process is great. It is a way of expanding surveillance. Police officials also verify one's claim, based on the photo and information submitted, making it foolproof," the IT professional added. Dokadia has mostly reported violations like triple-seat riding, use of fancy number plates, or tinted glasses, all of which he perceives as a threat to public safety. In Jan, he had the second-highest submissions leading to challans, and won a cash prize of Rs25,000. In Feb as well, he got a certificate and memento from the police for his contributions on the app. Also appreciating the user safety feature on the app, another IT professional requested anonymity and said, "I notice multiple violations when out on a walk or going about my day. Being able to report them is satisfying. The law against something like tinted windows is in place to ensure public safety. Such cars could be used for a number of antisocial reasons. Citizens should be able to report such a violation easily, which the app facilitates." The techie cited that the app's features have improved, it provides clarity regarding offences and allows for photos from a distance to remove fear of repercussions for users. "You receive challan numbers, a digital record is maintained, and you are given a reason if the challan following your submission is rejected," he added. Not all smooth sailing Some users have also suggested improvements to the experience. Dilip Paranjpe, a Pashan resident, said he started using the PTP app when it launched in June last year and observed a few lacunae. "I reported my observations to the app developer on multiple occasions, but no changes have been made yet. The process requires photographs of erring vehicles to be taken in the app itself. However, in traffic, when one notices an offence, by the time you pull out the phone, open the app (sometimes requiring OTP verification), search for the photo option and click, the vehicle has long gone away. It is easier to click photos on one's phone camera and upload them," Paranjpe told TOI. "Also, in case of fancy number plates, the app requires the vehicle registration number to be written as well. However, on custom plates, it is often difficult to read this number as the alphabets or digits are stylized, or too small, or one is simply moving too fast. This should change, too. With these ameliorations, the app could be more useful," the senior citizen added. Although the anonymity feature has been lauded for the most part, a few users also had unsettling encounters. Koregaon Park resident Kinjal Chauhan narrated the frequent frustration of navigating heavy oncoming traffic during walks. "I am forced to walk on the road as footpaths are used like parking lots, either by valets or vehicle owners. I found out about the PTP app and it felt like a good avenue to channel my annoyance. There is an upmarket car in our neighbourhood that is always parked on the footpath, which I discovered has three existing challans to its name. After I complained about the same, I noticed the car following me a couple of times. I try to click pictures cautiously, but if someone notices me, it could be unsafe," she shared. Despite this, Chauhan applauds the app for its efficiency and the chance it provides for quick reportage and resolution. Comparing Pune to Mumbai, she said the problem here is how disorganised and undisciplined motorists are. "Stand at any junction in Yerawada for even two minutes and you will be able to record multiple violations. The app allows you to capture wrong-side driving or riding photos, but since there are a lot of vehicles gridlocked, it is often difficult to capture the right one. Also, if one is moving, the photos are blurred. Wrong-side commuting is the biggest traffic violation these days. Even when roads are empty, people choose to go the wrong way. The lack of respect for law enforcement encourages this behaviour," Chauhan added. How does the app work? Once downloaded, the user is asked to enter their mobile number and an OTP is sent, which then logs one in. You can either choose the ‘Quick Reporting' or ‘Report Violation' option. In the former, you are asked to click a picture or video and then choose a violation from a list of options; in the latter, you first pick a violation and then click a picture. You also have an option to check your previously reported violations. According to police data, there has been a good response to the app since it was launched. DCP (traffic) Jadhav said, "We get approximately 2,000 violations reported via the app daily. About 75% are turned into challans after verification. We have a dedicated set of officers working on verifying these reported violations. Even if there is a small doubt or suspicion about the challan or if it's unclear, they are rejected. If a vehicle owner feels that they have been wrongly fined, they can raise a grievance via the app itself." For now, there are 13 violations that can be reported via the app, as these are easy for residents to capture, such as triple-seat riding, double parking and more. "Since we launched less than a year ago, we have also received feedback from users and are constantly working on making the app more seamless," Jadhav told TOI. The top five app users each month are given a cash prize (Rs50,000 for first place, etc.) and certificate; no person can be awarded the money more than once. ‘Empowerment, not snitching' An app like this empowers citizens instead of letting them just feel helpless when they witness frustrating behaviour on the streets, said Nishit Kamat, a city-based transportation strategist and designer. "It is an outlet for many and helps citizens hold each other accountable. It's not about snitching on each other. As far as making the app better goes, there are problems in initial stages with any system. It will evolve eventually. Even those who usually report violations are forced to think twice before breaking rules themselves," he added. What app users sayAn app like this is a great way for the police to expand their coverage at minimal expense. With this small initiative, the police are enabling citizens to report violations that they see, at least till infrastructure can be updated to a degree where citizens are not needed to do so anymore. The police need to manage traffic and issue challans, but they can't be everywhere and at all times— Siraj Dokadia | IT professional The app has worked well for issues like incorrect parking and similar complaints. However, it doesn't seem to be effective regarding abandoned vehicles. On Nov 20, 2025, I reported five violations of abandoned vehicles on Bhau Patil Road. Till date, only two have been read. The other three complaints have not even been read. Auto-escalation if a complaint is not read within a certain number of days, photo update after action taken especially in abandoned vehicle cases, and a dedicated category for abandoned vehicles with timeline for removal, should also be added — Anne Anish | Corporate trainer