ONGOLE: In a move to ensure women/girls’ safe travel, Prakasam district police launched ‘Abhay Drop Home Service’ on Wednesday evening, under which designated vehicles will pick up girls or women from odd or dangerous places within minutes and drop them at safe locations. District SP Siddharth Kaushal inaugurated this service at the District Police Headquarters here and said: “As soon as any woman or girl dials 100 in emergency situations, the Abhay vehicle will reach the spot within 15 to 20 minutes. If needed, it will drop them at their destinations safely. As a pilot project, we are introducing this new initiative in Ongole city and Chirala, Kandukur and Markapur towns.”
In total eight vehicles and 70 motorbikes, including four in Ongole, two in Chirala and one each at Kandukur and Markapur town would be deployed. These vehicles will run everyday from 9 pm to 5 am.
These vehicles will have a driver, along with one women police officer with body-worn camera, which will facilitate the police officials to keep vigil on the spot and record any untoward incident that might take place. This system will be monitored in three steps. Upon receiving the call, DSP from the command control centre will direct the police station nearest to the caller, which will sent the vehicles to the spot.
“People of the district should put this new service to use and call 100 immediately, if any woman or girl finds herself in any dangerous situation. The Abhay team will reach to provide a safe return to your destination.
This is a protection service for our sisters and mothers of the district promised by the police department and we request public cooperation in this regard. If anyone has suspicion that any college girl or working woman might face a problem, they are advised to dial 100,” the SP said. Ongole sub-divisional DSP KVVNS Prasad, SB Circle Inspector (CI) N Srikanth Babu, SB-II CI KV Raghavendra, SIs and staff attended the launching programme.