Kathmandu, July 30

The Metropolitan Traffic Police Division has launched a new service under the nationwide campaign ‘Police My Friend’ campaign that allows motorists and commuters to send a text message of any complaints directly to the MTPD.

The SMS service will prompt on-duty traffic police officers to respond to the complaints of motorists and commuters in the Kathmandu Valley.

The MTPD said that mobile phone users may send an SMS to 9851295100 to lodge their complaints against taxi drivers tampering with their fare-metre and refusing to travel short distances, and against public vehicles overcharging passengers and denying concession to commuters holding a studentx.

Cases of sexual harassment in public vehicles and other traffic-related complaints may also be sent to the said number for necessary investigation and legal action.

However, the mobile phone number is only for the purpose of test messaging and the traffic police have appealed to all to not make a call to this number. “People may call at the Traffic Police Control Room (103) for emergencies,” the MTPD informed.

Meanwhile, traffic police informed that they had been keeping a close watch on taxis both during the day and at night, when taxi drivers try to fleece passengers taking advantage of emergencies and non-availability of public vehicles. More than 600 fraudulent taxi drivers were brought to book in the past four months, according to the MTPD.

Around 7,000 taxis operate in the Valley.