SMS Gupshup and ICICI Lombard join hands to bring you traffic alerts

Published 27th August 2009

SMS GupShup, India’s largest social messaging platform has joined hands with ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company to bring you traffic alerts via SMS directly from the Traffic Control Room of Mumbai Traffic Police. The Mumbai Traffic Police has created three traffic communities TrafficCity, TrafficEast and TrafficWest that are sponsored by ICICI Lombard and will send traffic alerts to the community members twice a day.

Members of the community would receive text messages during the morning and the evening. Based on the information received, commuters would be made aware of the traffic conditions they in turn can make an informed decision on which route to take. To facilitate even better commuting experience, Mumbai Traffic Police will disseminate additional messages in cases like traffic jams, accidents, processions, political rallies, religious congregations and floods.

Says Beerud Sheth, CEO, and SMS GupShup, “Knowing what route to take and the bottlenecks to avoid can make all the difference to your day We at SMS GupShup believe that delivering such vital information in a timely manner, via SMS to people in Mumbai would be a great value addition. We are happy to have ICICI Lombard on board with us on this initiative.”

The communities have been created considering the traffic flow in Mumbai.
1)Traffic East: With 3823 members, this community will update commuters from Eastern suburbs of Mumbai starting from Sion to Mulund and Vashi. For a sample of alerts visit http://www.smsgupshup.com/groups/TrafficEast
2)Traffic West: With 6902 members, this community will update commuters from Western suburbs of Mumbai starting from Bandra to Dahisar. For a sample of alerts visit http://www.smsgupshup.com/groups/TrafficWest
3)Traffic City: With 6408 members, this community will update commuters from Colaba to Mahim and Sion. For a sample of alerts visit http://www.smsgupshup.com/groups/trafficcity.

Kartik Jain, Head-Marketing and E Channel, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, says “We are delighted to tie up with SMS GupShup and the Mumbai Traffic Police to bring commuters in Mumbai information, which is relevant and timely. The sms alerts are a value add over and above our motor insurance solutions and will help motorists save precious time and avoid traffic jams. ICICI Lombard is sponsoring the TrafficWest, TrafficEast and TrafficCity communities.”

To join these communities and receive regular alerts from Mumbai’s Traffic Police, all one has to do is to send a message i.e. JOIN TrafficEast, JOIN TrafficWest or JOIN TrafficCity to 567678.

Sanjay Barve, Joint Commissioner of Police, Mumbai Traffic, says “We have decided to start this service so that we can provide motorists alternate routes in case their original routes are blocked. He added, “Around 10,000 motorists have subscribed to this service.”