RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government on Wednesday launched a command and control centre to ensure enhanced safety measures for the women and girls travelling in private passenger and school buses.
The state transport department has gone ahead to install the Global Positioning System (GPS) based vehicle tracking software on a designated server to locate the vehicle besides placing the panic buttons in buses to assist women and others who face any potential danger or untoward incidents. Such installation will also serve as a deterrent to criminal activities.
In Chhattisgarh, there are around 12000 passenger buses owned by private owners running across various routes of the state and over 6000 private school buses.
CM Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated GPS-based vehicle tracking software for the safety of women passengers. The GPS system provides accurate information about the real-time information on location of the bus and the route thereby ensuring enhanced safety. Passengers can press the panic button in the event of any emergency or accident to immediately notify both the police control room and the transport control room. This will promptly activate the emergency response support system of the state, i.e. Dial 112 services, said the officials. The staff of the nearest police station will swiftly respond.
“The Chhattisgarh government has executed a significant decision to install GPS systems and panic buttons in private buses, allowing passengers to access real-time information about the whereabouts of the bus in case of any crisis or urgent situation”, said Dipanshu Kabra, Transport Commissioner.
The state government has also established the Nirbhaya Command Centre to oversee the system keeping an eye on improved security measures intended for public transportation. The new approach includes mapping the routes of school buses and will enable an automatic alert mode if a school bus deviates from its prescribed route, ensuring the safety of children.