Now, Crime Branch will send you traffic alert via SMS

The Mumbai Crime Branch, which until now was responsible for ensuring that hardened criminals stay behind bars, have been entrusted with the job of alerting citizens of any traffic-related problems via SMS.

Following the collapse of a girder on the Eastern Freeway that led to traffic chaos at Wadala, the traffic branch of the city police has roped in Crime Branch officials to send out SMS alerts, sources said.

In case of the girder collapse on July 19, which killed one, injured seven others and damaged four vehicles, the traffic department had shot off text messages about road blockages and diversions to citizens from its own control rooms. “We had to enforce a closure as rescue operations were on. The clearance and rescue work led to the said road being closed for nearly 36 hours,” said joint commissioner of police (traffic), Vivek Phansalkar.

Confirming the roping in of the Crime Branch, a senior police officer said, “As the city Crime Branch liaisons with telecom service providers, it is feasible for them to react promptly and inform citizens of any road problems well in advance so they can avoid the said ‘problematic’ road and chalk out an alternative plan.”

In any such situation in future, the traffic department will forward an alert message to additional commissioner of police (crime) Niket Kaushik, which will then be forwarded to the citizens, he added.