THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After making rides free for women through Priyadarshini scheme, KSRTC is now moving ahead with its plan to ensure they have a safe travel experience on board.
Soon, nearly one in four KSRTC buses will be fitted with panic buttons and live, satellite-based tracking to provide passengers, especially women, with an immediate emergency response mechanism. The carrier will launch the initiative across 1,000 buses in the state.
To implement the comprehensive Vehicle Tracking and Monitoring System (VTMS), KSRTC is installing AIS-140 compliant tracking devices alongside the panic buttons. The emergency alert systems will allow passengers in distress to immediately notify authorities, enabling swift response from control rooms and nearby enforcement agencies.
“The advanced satellite-based tracking technology drives the system KSRTC is outfitting every vehicle, in phases, with a tracking device that links to a satellite system,” said a KSRTC official.
In an emergency, the satellite link will map the vehicle's position, velocity and time with pinpoint accuracy, keeping the bus visible even on remote rural routes.
Safety system to strengthen KSRTC’s free ride scheme
Inside, the physical layout will completely remove accessibility barriers by spacing waterproof emergency buttons exactly two meters apart along vertical pillars on both sides of the passenger area.
Under the system, a dedicated alert button sits directly at the driver’s station and a panic button is installed for every row of seats reserved for women. Every button features an LED indicator so passengers can locate it instantly in the dark.
Once activated, the tracking unit will push the distress signal simultaneously to two digital hubs: the motor vehicles department’s ‘Suraksha-Mitr’ portal and KSRTC’s Fleet Management System.
This data feeds into KSRTC’s system at five-second intervals, allowing control room operators to isolate the bus on their live fleet maps, monitor its speed, track its direction, establish direct communication with the conductor and deploy ground support or alternative transport to deal with emergencies swiftly.
The safety mechanism is expected to strengthen the Priyadarshini scheme, which the UDF government launched on June 15. The impact of this initiative is already evident in the carrier’s ridership data:
On June 16, a whopping 18.56 lakh people travelled on ordinary buses, of which 11.84 lakh were women. This meant women accounted for 64% of the total riders, or around two out of every three passengers on ordinary services, making the new security infrastructure a vital upgrade.