Shanghai began a trial run Monday for the hotline that unifies the bulk of the city's more than 230 service hotlines, including those for utilities, transportation and social welfare services, the Shanghai Evening Post reported Sunday.
The 12345 hotline, which the local government has been preparing since May, will make it quicker and easier for residents to get in touch with city service authorities. "The hotline will bring the government departments closer to residents and improve the efficiency of the government," Xue Chao, deputy secretary-general of the municipal government, told Shanghai TV Station.
The hotline will forward complaints to the proper authorities so they can be dealt with appropriately, said Xue Qiufang, director of the hotline.
"We will have specialists from various government departments to help when a very specific question comes up," she told the Global Times Sunday.
The new hotline will not replace the old numbers, though the local government will gradually abandon them as residents get used to dialing the new number.
The hotline will be available in multiple languages. "We will provide service in English, Korean, Japanese and Spanish during the trial. Once we officially launch the hotline, we may offer additional languages depending on the demand," Xue said.
She added that they hope to officially launch the hotline next year. During the trial, the hotline will be open from 8 am to 8 pm every day, though it will eventually be available 24 hours a day.
The hotline employs 460 operators, with 200 working on each shift. For emergencies, however, residents still need to call 110 for police and 120 for an ambulance, authorities said.
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