eNatis gets social

Johannesburg, 23 Jul 2009

The electronic National Traffic Information System (eNatis) has established its presence on Facebook and Twitter.

According to Philip van der Merwe, Tasima divisional manager for corporate communications, Twitter will be used mainly for updates, progress reports and to provide the public with important information. While the number of local Twitter users is contested, the popularity of the social networking site has been on the rise in the past few years.

“We will provide the public with information on line connectivity at the various stations and other issues. You must remember that these are issues we don't have control over, but it's important to alert people,” he says.

Facebook, which he says allows for community discussions, is where questions can be posed, and discussions will be held by users. The social networking site has over 250 million active users worldwide, with more than 120 million log-ins daily. However, the main avenue for specific questions on eNatis transactions will still be the forum, available through the eNatis Web site. There are currently close to 15 000 registered users on the forum.

Van der Merwe says eNatis is hoping to increase its followers on Twitter and friends on Facebook into the thousands. This will ensure the social networking sites are used as effectively as possible, he says. Twitter and Facebook pages will be monitored and checked to allow for the immediacy that the social networking sites are known for, he adds.

eNatis says regular updates on its Facebook and Twitter profiles will include system enhancements and details of service centres experiencing connectivity issues due to line or power failures. Information on connectivity issues is also available on the main page, and connectivity status will be updated on a regular basis.

Current updates on its Twitter page note that there are line issues in Mabopane and that the core system was 100% available three hours ago. Updates on daily transactions have also been posted, along with news reports on eNatis.