The Delhi Transport Department (DTC) is mulling making the mandatory installation of panic buttons aboard auto-rickshaws another prerequisite for the grant of a permit to ply in the Capital, sources claim. The said condition is already a given for commercially registered vehicles operating as cabs in the city.
Panic buttons, according to a source, are intended to be installed on fare meters in addition to GPS systems, enabling real-time tracking of such vehicles, from a centralised control room (CCR) which has become functional at the Department’s headquarters in north Delhi’s Civil Lines.
Immediate response
“Just like when they board cabs, a majority of which are already equipped with both GPS and panic buttons, the government intends to ensure that passengers utilising auto-rickshaws in the Capital are able to feel safe no matter the time of day when they board such a vehicle,” said the source.
According to the source, the measure was intended to enable an immediate response from the Department to a passenger in the event of an emergency.
“As soon as the panic button is used, it will alert the Department’s centralised control room which will first reach out to the auto driver to know the reason as to why the panic button installed in their vehicle has been activated. If no response is received, the police control room will be alerted,” the source explained.
Safer ride
The step is in line with the Department’s ongoing attempts at making commercially registered vehicles providing last-mile connectivity to commuters, especially female passengers, safer.
Scan codes
A similar initiative revolves around the Department’s ongoing attempt at the mandatory installation of Quick Response (QR) identification codes on both cabs and auto-rickshaws, enabling swift response from enforcement agencies in light of an emergency, by next year.
Commuters will be able to scan these codes on applications such as WhatsApp and send details about the driver and the vehicle they board to family members in addition to using the Delhi Police’s Himmat App which can share the said details with a specialised control room.
At the core of the initiative is the CCR which, according to the source, is gradually being used to monitor feeds from CCTV-equipped vehicles on its Enforcement Department and cameras installed aboard buses being operated by the DTC.
The Department is also in the process of creating a comprehensive database of cab operators. The database will have the personal and background information of each driver, and any driver not on the database is liable to be penalised.
