With crimes against women on the rise, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is contemplating installing Global Positioning System (GPS) in buses, auto-rickshaws and cabs in cities.
As a pilot project, the initiative will be taken up in cities with population of over one million.
Feasibility study
The Ministry had recently instructed the State Transport Department to study the feasibility of the project, and consequently, three senior officials, including Joint Transport Commissioner (IT) G. Panduranga Rao, visited Bangalore, New Delhi and Mumbai. The main objective of the project is to make travel on city buses, auto-rickshaws and cabs safe for passengers, especially women. The project envisages installation of GPS in vehicles, with a central control room in the city monitoring their movement. This will help the authorities, including police, to track vehicles, besides curbing crime, said Rao.
In cities like New Delhi and Mumbai, GPS is installed in city buses and in a few autos and cabs. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation is also planning to introduce the facility in its city buses shortly.
The Ministry now wants to examine the possibility of installing GPS in all city buses, auto-rickshaws and cabs in major cities under Nirbhaya Funds, he explained.
There are over 4,500 city buses, 80,000 auto-rickshaws and 8,000 cabs in the capital, and after a study, a detailed report will be submitted to the Transport Department on the feasibility of GPS facility.
Funds
Though the Ministry will be sanctioning funds for installation of GPS in vehicles and establishing a control room, aspects pertaining to which department will maintain and monitor the system are yet to be finalised.
“The concept is still in the primary stage, and GPS in all public transport vehicles will definitely be an advantage,” Rao added.
