College students to help monitor traffic with new ‘Police Marshals’ feature on ASTraM app

To curb traffic violations near educational institutions, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) will roll out a new feature on the ASTraM app, enabling college students to report offences occurring around their campuses.

The BTP will partner with the Aarohan Foundation, which runs the ‘Police Marshals’ initiative aimed at conducting drug awareness campaigns among college students. The foundation currently operates in 100 colleges with 14,000 student marshals, who will now also participate in the BTP’s traffic violation monitoring drive.

Karthik Reddy, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), told The Hindu that the foundation’s network of 14,000 students represents a large and valuable resource that can be mobilised to promote traffic awareness and help identify violators.

“We will add a ‘Police Marshals’ option on the ASTraM app, which onboarded students can use to upload traffic violation photos,” Mr. Reddy said.

Data-driven approach

While this initiative will enable the police to fine violators, it will also help gather specific data to improve traffic management and planning.

For instance, if a particular stretch near a college frequently reports wrong-way driving, police can analyse the reasons behind the trend and take corrective measures, in addition to penalising habitual offenders.

A source from the ASTraM team explained that when a police marshal logs into the app, a dropdown menu will list various types of violations. The marshal can select the relevant category and upload a photo.

Each uploaded image will record details such as the educational institution, exact location, type of violation, and the violator’s identity, creating a comprehensive database. This data will help the police study traffic violation trends around educational institutions and their frequency, aiding in the identification and resolution of underlying problems.

Incentivising participation

Vinay A.G., director of the Aarohan Foundation, said that to create enthusiasm among students, a leader board displaying the top colleges that report the most violations will be introduced, along with mementos as incentives.

The foundation is already working with the city’s Law and Order police to promote drug awareness and offer student counselling, along with conducting street plays on drug abuse and cybercrime. The new initiative will complement these efforts.

“We have observed that some Police Marshals get overly involved in activities, which can affect their studies. We’ve implemented measures to ensure a balance,” Mr. Vinay told The Hindu.

According to a source from ASTraM, the Public Eye app (through which citizens can upload traffic violation photos) is already integrated with ASTraM. The student marshal feature will function similarly but will be more refined and effective, as it is limited to verified student participants. The source added that this approach is expected to receive a strong response due to its incentive-based model.