Safety in India is a pressing issue. After the 23-year-old Nirbhaya was brutally gang-raped in a moving bus in Delhi, public uproar caused for a change in laws and increase in security for women’s safety in the country.
Even though crimes again women are still rampant, Government activities to help women are on the rise, like the mandate to have all Indian-manufactured phones to be equipped with GPS and a panic button.
The Transport Minister has now launched public buses which are equipped with panic buttons and GPS.
According to the mandate, all seats will be equipped with a panic button in front. Whenever a passenger in distress presses it, the alert will go to the transport department as well as the police. The GPS tracker in the bus will help the police track its location while the CCTV will help catch the culprit. Biometric details of drivers and conductors will also be kept on record. Thus, in this way, a three-fold security system will be fit in place.
The project will be rolled out in phases and the funding will be shared by the states and the Government allotted Nirbhaya Fund.
Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said, “We issued a draft notification on May 2 to amend the central motor vehicle rules, making the installation of safety devices (on buses) mandatory. We hope to finalise the notification by June.” The first fleet of 20 buses with the security measures was launched in Rajasthan.
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The new security measures put in place might finally help elevate women’s safety in the country.
News source: Hindustan Times
Cover image sources: 1 & 2