Traffic updates on mobiles to restart from Monday

The Delhi Traffic Police are going to reintroduce the service of providing traffic updates through SMS from Monday. “The SMS service is going to be re-launched on Monday,” said Satyendra Garg, JCP (traffic). Subhendu Ray reports.

The Delhi Traffic Police are going to reintroduce the service of providing traffic updates through SMS from Monday. “The SMS service is going to be re-launched on Monday,” said Satyendra Garg, JCP (traffic).

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The service, launched free of cost in June 2010, had proved to be successful. About 1.07 lakh people had subscribed to it then. But the police had to discontinue it in September 2011 after the Telephone Regulatory Authority of India had put a ban on sending bulk text messages.

“Ours was a subscription-based service and not unsolicited. But as it carried advertisement, we had to stop it. But keeping in view the constant demand for traffic updates through SMS, we have decided to reactivate it at our own cost,” Garg said.

However, those who had activated DND (do not disturb) service on their phones will have to send an SMS ‘join dtp’ to 09219592195 from his mobile phone to register, he added. “This is a free service by the traffic police. This will also alert commuters about traffic diversions or advisory in the city,” said an officer.