New Delhi, (Samajweekly) The Delhi Traffic Police on Sunday said that the G20 Summit has been a huge success, adding “they appreciate the tremendous support of the public in facilitating traffic arrangements for dignitaries”.
The traffic police reported receiving 2,500 telephone calls per day between September 7 and 10, whereas before the G20 Summit, they received only 400 calls per day.
“Elaborate arrangements were made to assist and facilitate the public, minimising disturbance to commuters. Some inconvenience was anticipated, and we were aware of the situation during this historic time,” they stated.
The officials mentioned that a fully functional traffic helpline, 1095/011-2584444, was strengthened with additional staff to handle calls.
Prior to the G20 Summit, the helpline at the Public Interface Unit received an average of about 400 calls per day. During the Summit, the Public Interface Unit received an average of about 2,500 telephone calls per day between September 7 and 10.
A G20 Traffic Virtual Helpdesk, a web portal for the Summit, was established and visited by more than 163,000 people. On average, the WhatsApp Helpline (8750871493) received 2,000 queries per day.
Delhi Traffic Police’s X (formerly Twitter) handle provided clarifications for approximately 75 queries per day.
The general public also sought information on Delhi Traffic Police’s Facebook Page.
“A dedicated Ambulance Assistance Control Room with the Helpline number (6828400604/112) was set up to help people during medical emergencies. It received 24 calls between September 7 and 10. The helpline also received general queries, which were handled by the PIU. Not a single call regarding an ambulance stuck in a traffic jam and not being allowed to move was received during the summit duration. A total of 440 calls regarding the need for an ambulance were received on ERSS-112 and were handled promptly with positive feedback,” the traffic police said.
The officials mentioned that coordination was also established with the Mappls (MapmyIndia) navigation App to provide alternate routes in compliance with traffic regulations during the G-20 Summit.
This greatly helped the public in their hassle-free movement in the Delhi-NCR area.
“The public’s queries were largely related to the availability of routes to various railway stations, places of interest, airports, and the best mode of transport to reach their destination. The questions were also related to the opening of tourist places for the general public and foreigners. While the traffic police had advertised the advisories well in advance, they explained the finer details to the public in a very professional manner,” the official said.
The official further stated that a careful analysis of the pattern of calls and queries on social media revealed that these inquiries were mainly to clarify doubts rather than report traffic jams, harassment, or being prevented from going about their work.
“Since the advisories were detailed and well-publicised, the public was able to manage their affairs effectively,” the official said.
