RASTA inaugurated to update commuters on traffic

IGP says app will prove fruitful for citizens in emergency situations like protests, sit-ins, construction works etc

LAHORE: An app has been developed to keep commuters aware over the traffic situation. RASTA (Road and Street Traffic Awareness), an android-based application developed by City Traffic Police Lahore, in collaboration with Punjab Information and Technology Board (PITB), was inaugurated by Inspector General of Police Punjab Arif Nawaz at the Central Police Office on Thursday.

PITB Chairperson Umar Saif and his team members, Patrolling Additional IG Amjad Javed Salimi, D&I Additional IG Ijaz Hussain Shah, Finance and Welfare Additional IG Muhammad Tahir, Establishment Additional IG Azhar Hameed Khokhar, Training Additional IG Tariq Masood Yaseen, Operations Additional IG Mohsin Hassan Butt, Punjab Traffic DIG Farooq Mazhar, Chief Traffic Police Officer Rai Ijaz Ahmad and other officers were present on the occasion.



Speaking on the occasion, IGP Arif Nawaz said that they were using modern technology to introduce reforms in the traffic management system of the province. He said the RASTA app will prove to be a game-changer.

Through this app, the citizens will be able to learn about the traffic situation on different roads and this can help plan their route, e-licensing, online challan payment and other services, he added.

He believed that the development of app was a better step and it will prove fruitful for citizens in traffic blockades due to emergency situations like protests, sit-ins and construction works etc.

He also appreciated the role of PITB in digitilisation of police department and helping them prepare different apps for crime fighting and other police jobs. Speaking on the occasion, CTO Rai Ijaz Ahmad said that any citizen could install this app through the Google Playstore. After installing the app, commuters will not only be able to get updates about the traffic situation, but also register their complaints, he added.

He said that till the time of this inauguration, over 16,000 commuters have downloaded this app. He said that they were updating the app and adding features in it after input from citizens.



PITB Chairperson Umar Saif, said that the way Punjab police have updated themselves using information technology and this was highly appreciated. He said that these steps will help in promoting community and smart policing. It will also help in crime fighting, he added.

RASTA app was connected with Google maps and integrated with the Punjab Safe City Authority. It was consistently updated with PSCA CCTV cameras and the wireless system of traffic wardens. The app has six features including traffic updates, e-licensing, e-challanning, 15, FM Radio and complaints.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 8^th, 2017.