Police app 'roadEase' to offer real-time traffic updates of Chennai roads

A mobile app, roadEase, offering real-time updates on road closures and diversions, estimated travel times and alternative routes for road users, has been launched by the Chennai police.

Launching the app on Thursday (October 20), the commissioner of Greater Chennai Police, Shankar Jiwal, said that many times the police had to close a particular road to improve traffic flow, facilitate civil works like those of Chennai Metro Rail and storm-water drain or due to a temporary situation like an agitation.

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“Whenever road closure and diversions are made, a pressnote is issued and it is announced on social media. But these are not updated on Google Maps immediately and the road users are not aware of the information,” said Jiwal, according to media reports.

For these reasons, the GCTP along with Lepton developed this app. The press release issued by the police said that they will inform Lepton through an app called roadEase about the sudden closure of the road and its duration, which will then by relayed by Lepton on Google Maps within 15 minutes. The closed road will be shown with the dotted red line even as it also shows the best available alternative route.

A trial run of the app was carried out for four days before the launch.