Local government utilizes mobile apps, WeChat mini programs to connect with citizens

The most important day of a couple's life was saved thanks to critical information provided by a mobile application.

Ala Police, a mobile app launched in 2017 by the public security bureau of Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province, helped a couple get married on the day they had planned, Beijing-based Legal Daily reported.

The household registration certificate the woman brought was an older version and did not contain all the information needed for getting a marriage certificate. But once she verified her identity on the app using her ID card, the marriage registration staff members were able to immediately access the information needed via the app and completed the procedure.

Ningbo has been harnessing the power of mobile devices to provide more efficient and accessible citizen services.

It aims to move more than 90 percent of citizen services online by the end of 2022, according to the city's digitalization plan released in 2019.

Ala Police is one of a suite of digital solutions Ningbo has introduced in recent years to drive deeper community engagement and make everyday life easier.

One of them is an app named Ningbo Civic Service, which offers a comprehensive set of features in areas such as shopping, healthcare, transportation and education.

By tapping the densely packed, yet neatly grouped icons on the app's menu, users can schedule a doctor's appointment, unlock shared bicycles, browse through products from vegetables to apartments, and check the results of the senior high school entrance examination.

The app was announced as an example of good practice in the digital governance of Zhejiang province at the 2020 Zhejiang Smart City Summit held on Nov 30 in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province.

Another example is a nifty mini program called Ningbo Mobile Courtroom, which was first used by Ningbo courts in 2017 and renamed China Mobile Courtroom in 2019, according to Ningbo Daily.

The mini program can be located using the mini program search tool on social media platform WeChat. There is no need to download anything or add someone as a friend.

Offering features such as video calling, face recognition and electronic signature creation, the mini program allows users to file cases, exchange evidence, confirm police notes and conduct mediation sessions, among other functions.

It is particularly helpful for people who have difficulty making a court appearance. A plaintiff's attorney in Ningbo and a defendant on a business trip in Africa completed the mediation process using the mini program, Ningbo Daily reported.

As of Dec 8, courts nationwide had handled more than 2.2 million cases using the mini program, which had received 522 million visits, the newspaper reported.

Ningbo's countryside is also going digital. Ninghai county in Ningbo has introduced a mobile app to improve communication between villagers and officials. Villagers can report problems or seek help by posting photos and videos on the app.

Professionals such as attorneys, doctors and teachers have formed service teams via the app to provide always-on services for villagers. "Five villagers used the app to report quality problems with a roadbed project in the village," Ge Datai, a resident of Shangxi village in Ninghai, said. "The roadbed was promptly repaired with the help of village service teams."

Ge Xiaotai, an official at Shangxi village, told local news website NHNews that he once saw a message on the app saying that a villager went missing. "I immediately contacted rescuers and town and village leaders, and villagers also voluntarily joined the search."

Ningbo's Xiangshan county has launched an intelligent system to ensure safety on campus. It collects tips on potential safety hazards from students and parents, who can do so by scanning a QR code and uploading a photo report. Signs bearing the QR code can be seen on campuses across Xiangshan.

For example, a broken banister in a local kindergarten got fixed within 48 hours of reporting.

On Nov 26, Ningbo's digitalization efforts were recognized at the annual Smart China Conference, where the city received the Award for Exemplary Smart City in China.

Chen Bingrong, vice-mayor of Ningbo, said the city will continue its efforts to become an exemplar in building a smart city and contribute to China's digital transformation and the growth of the global digital economy.