This step will help the police to study the trends of traffic offenses in educational institutions and their frequency, which will help identify and solve the underlying problems. | Photo credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
To curb traffic violations near educational institutions, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) will introduce a new feature in the ASTraM app that will allow college students to report violations that occur around their campus.
BTP will partner with the Aarohan Foundation, which runs the ‘Police Marshals’ initiative to conduct drug awareness campaigns among college students. The foundation currently operates in 100 universities with 14,000 student marshals, who will now also be involved in the control of BTP traffic violations.
Karthik Reddy, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), told The Hindu that the foundation’s network of 14,000 students is a large and valuable resource that can be mobilized to promote traffic awareness and help identify offenders.
“We will add a ‘Police Marshals’ option to the ASTraM app, which students on board can use to upload photos of traffic offences,” Mr Reddy said.
A data-driven approach
While this initiative will allow the police to fine violators, it will also help collect specific data to improve traffic management and planning.
For example, if a certain stretch near a college frequently reports erratic driving, the police can analyze the reasons behind the trend and take corrective action, in addition to punishing habitual offenders.
A source from the ASTraM team explained that when a police commissioner logs into the app, a drop-down menu will display different types of violations. The marshal can select the appropriate category and upload a photo.
Each uploaded image records details such as the educational institution, exact location, type of violation and the identity of the offender, creating a comprehensive database. This data will help the police to study the trends of traffic offenses in the vicinity of educational institutions and their frequency, which will help in identifying and solving the underlying problems.
Motivation to participate
Vinay AG, Director, Aarohan Foundation, said that to create enthusiasm among students, a table of top colleges reporting the most violations will be introduced along with reminders as incentives.
The foundation is already working with the city’s law and order police to promote drug awareness and offer counseling to students along with street plays on drug abuse and cybercrime. The new initiative will complement these efforts.
“We have found that some police marshals are over-involved in activities that can affect their studies. We have put measures in place to ensure balance,” Vinay told The Hindu.
According to a source from ASTraM, the Public Eye application (through which citizens can upload photos of traffic violations) is already integrated with ASTraM. The student marshal feature will work similarly, but will be more sophisticated and effective as it is limited to verified student participants. The source added that the approach is expected to get a strong response due to the incentive-based model.
Published – 25 Oct 2025 19:54 IST
