mid-day says: Upgrade emergency alert systems

Every smart phone can receive emergency alerts, but unfortunately, the same is not used at all

Every smart phone can receive emergency alerts, but unfortunately, the same is not used at all. We believe, Mumbai needs to upgrade its emergency alert systems to inform its citizens on public announcements, road blocks, strikes, water logging, railway strikes etc.

Terrestrial Mobile TV

A few months ago, we reported that Doordarshan was conducted trial runs of Terrestrial mobile TV broadcasts. We believe it’s time that Mobile TV gets launched officially in Mumbai. Considering the amount of time we spend on the daily commute, and the need for information and entertainment on the go, the service could prove to be a boon for most Mumbaikars. Besides, Mobile TV has proven to be a useful mode of communication in case of emergency, largely due to its reach.

Public information kiosks

Despite the technology advancements in recent times, Mumbai has failed to upgrade itself in providing necessary information to the public whether it’s about various government policies and plans or making basic information available to tourists. A 24x7 online kiosk that can provide details such as nearby places of attraction, how to reach a particular destination, or details on how to use various modes of transportation such as buses, trains, autorickshaws and other modes can go a long way in making Mumbai a tourist-friendly city.

Navigation systems in commercial vehicles

Whether it’s an app-based taxi service or the regular kaali-peeli taxi, a built-in GPS should be compulsory in all commercial vehicles. Mumbai could do much better with a crucial safety feature such as this, especially in preventing miscreant cabbies from taking customers for a ride. Besides, a GPS tracker will also allow friends and family members to follow and keep an eye on their loved ones who commute late in the night.

Better network connectivity

Even though, 4G network has arrived in Mumbai, we are still struggling for better cellular connectivity across the city. Call drops are frequent, and often, cellular networks go missing whether you are indoors or outdoors. For technology advancements and web-based mobile services to have any real impact on our lives, seamless cellular connectivity is a must. We had raised this issue in our January 1 edition six months ago, and are saying it again; poor cellular connectivity is simply not acceptable. We hope things will change in the second half of 2015.

Compiled by Hassan M Kamal

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