The Road Safety Authority (RTA) is planning to install ‘Abhaya’ devices in collaboration with the Police Department in order to boost security for women passengers travelling on autorickshaws.
Pilot project
The Internet of Things (IoT) equipped devices will not only help in tracking the movement of vehicles during emergencies but will also provide passengers relevant information about the auto driver.
The ‘Abhaya’ devices have been installed on a pilot basis in 50 autorickshaws in Visakhapatnam. Apart from the city, the devices are being installed in Vijayawada too. Officials say they will first analyse the functioning of the devices here before deciding whether they should be installed in other autorickshaws with any modifications if necessary.
According to officials from RTA, the devices will be fixed beside the driver inside the vehicle. The driver will be given a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) card, which he has to swipe before starting the vehicle.
Once he swipes the card, an alert will be sent to the police control room or traffic control room, indicating that the vehicle has started.
The Abhaya device is also GPS-enabled, which will help in tracking the vehicle’s movement.
RTA officials said a passenger can know the details of the auto-rickshaw driver if he/she scans the QR code attached in the autorickshaw by using the Abhaya app (which is still in the production stage).
Panic alerts
“The app also has a panic button. During an emergency, the passenger can click the panic button, which sends out an alert to the control room. The police will track the autorickshaw and in turn alert nearby patrolling teams,” said Deputy Transport Commissioner S. Venkateswara Rao.
Mr. Venkateswara Rao added that the auto-rickshaws can be tracked only during any emergency if the passenger clicks the panic button, and not during normal rides.
A senior police officer from the Visakhapatnam traffic wing said the feature can be used even during any untoward incident, such as theft or snatching cases. Once the passenger clicks the panic button, police teams will swing into action. Through the GPS system and information regarding the auto-rickshaw driver, the feature will help in crime detection, he said.
