Social media is increasingly taking its place in the modern society as a core tool, not only in information and communication, but also in being a more efficient way to offer support and help to masses.
In various ways, Facebook and Twitter have helped users to tackle some problems they face in their daily lives, ranging from crime watch to traffic alerts.
In Kenya for instance, a concerned road user came up with a faster and trendy way of sending out traffic alerts to Nairobi’s road users, majorly relying on Facebook and Twitter to give the motorists information of what state the city’s roads are in.
Laban Okune came up with the idea of starting the now famous Ma3Route after he felt that relying on radio traffic updates was not efficient enough as they took a longer time.
Ma3Route now serves thousands of Nairobi’s motorists, and its Twitter handle is the most relied upon source of traffic information.
With thousands of followers on Facebook and Twitter, Ma3Route keeps them informed on the roads’ situations by sending out minute by minute updates. This was, the motorists are able to know which roads to use and which ones to avoid.
The sites also give updates of any accidents, road closures and any other unexpected road situations.
Ma3Route has become a basic source of traffic information in Kenya, and has time and again been an effective way of managing traffic.
