Delhi’s Traffic Prahari app turns citizens into watchdogs

Mahesh Sharma, a Rapido driver by evening and a bank clerk during the day, spends most of his time on the road, with half of it dedicated to clicking photos.

“The Traffic Police can give me more money than my salary,” he joked.

Sharma has been a regular complainant on the Traffic Prahari app, which he describes as a gateway to a better life. “I keep seeing cars in unauthorised parking spots, bikes with three or more riders, cars driving on the wrong side of the road, and so on. I can do this the entire day and earn Rs 50,000. I would finally be able to get my bike serviced,” he said.

The app’s growing reach

Relaunched on September 1, 2024, the Delhi Traffic Police’s Traffic Prahari app, earlier known as Traffic Sentinel, has become a key tool in promoting road safety and traffic discipline.

By December 3, 2024, it had recorded 10,114 complaints with 7,435 active users and 14,526 downloads. Public participation was strong from the start.

Now, downloads have crossed five lakh. More than 10,000 people use it actively, while the concurrent user base is around 40,000, according to official estimates. This surge has made traffic monitoring both easier and more widespread.

How the reward system works

The app rewards citizens for reporting violations. Each verified submission earns points that can be redeemed for prizes.

Photographing vehicles driving against the flow of traffic earns five points. Triple riding or riding without helmets fetches two points. Defective number plates, missing seat belts, and violations of stop lines, zebra crossings or yellow lines earn one point. Videos of red-light jumping or zigzag driving bring three points. Capturing mobile phone use while driving adds two points, while complaints about refusal, overcharging or harassment by taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers earn one point.

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Reporting requires more than just photos or videos. Users must also enter the time, date, registration number and details of the violation. GPS coordinates, along with date and time, are automatically extracted from the device, making reports real-time and accurate.

Processing complaints and cash prizes

Complaints are processed at the Delhi Traffic Police headquarters in Todapur. A dedicated team reviews submissions and takes action under Section 133 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Users can track the progress of their cases within the app.

To encourage participation, the police offer monthly cash rewards to the top five contributors. The first prize is Rs 50,000. The second gets Rs 5,000, the third Rs 15,000, and the fourth and fifth Rs 10,000 each. In total, Rs 1,10,000 is distributed every month.

The system began in October 2024 for reports submitted in September. Earlier, from January 1 to August 29, 2024, the app recorded 15,127 complaints from 4,213 users. Rewards then were in the form of vouchers and coupons. Since January 1, 2024, a total of Rs 8,80,000 has been disbursed.

Police perspective

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Satya Vir Katra called the app transformative. He said the relaunch had turned it into a valuable tool for road safety, pointing out that ordinary citizens act as the first line of defence. He added that the app’s design and cash incentives had boosted engagement, with reviews under way to ensure continued effectiveness.

Users voice concerns

Despite positive reviews overall, users have raised concerns about the app’s functionality.

Chetan Sharma, a regular user, said the app does not permit photo uploads from the gallery, unlike the earlier Traffic Sentinel version. He added that the new system rejects a challan if the user moves even a metre from the spot where the photo was taken. “Over the past few days, I have reported nearly 50 offences, but only three were approved. All the photos were perfectly clear, yet regrettably, they were not accepted,” he said.

He also highlighted the absence of a camera widget. The current process — opening the app, navigating to the report section and then accessing the camera — is time-consuming. He suggested a widget that launches the app directly in camera mode, which would save time and improve usability.

Payments for August remain pending. “We are awaiting the LG office’s response. It is from there that the money will be disbursed,” Katra said.