In the wake of an alarming increase in the number of rape and harassment cases against women in public transport, the Andhra Pradesh government plans to launch a foolproof safety mechanism through a project called ‘Abhaya.’
This IoT (Internet of Things)-based safety scheme will be implemented at a cost of ₹58 crore as a pilot project in Krishna and Visakhapatnam districts where the population of urban women and college girls is high.
The Transport Department floated the RFP (Request for Proposal) last week and may close it by the third week of July. The first lot of around 50,000 IoT device boxes will be installed in auto-rickshaws by October.
The devices will have an in-built Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) or General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) for both real time location tracking and data communication. “Real time data analysis will be hosted on cloud to support the transport and the police departments,” said Transport Commissioner N. Balasubramanyam, adding that a mobile application would establish a connection between the passenger and the server.
Without asking for any personal information about the passenger, the app will enable her to capture photos, send alerts, share the route and vehicle location with a guardian/confidante.
Distress button
If a woman senses a threat, she can tap the trouble (distress) button which will auto-alert the police command and control centre and her guardian. Hard press anywhere on screen will also trigger a distress alarm while a tap on the ‘video call’ button will start a video call/stream to the police.
The victim could point the mobile’s camera towards the trouble mongers whose images would be captured by the police. The personnel on duty can engage them through video. The app will also have a ‘shout’ button which, when tapped, will play a recorded video or ‘shout’ audio in vernacular language and auto-alert the police and the woman’s guardian.
Before boarding an auto-rickshaw, the passenger will have to capture the QR code sticker on the vehicle that will give the details of the vehicle and the driver along with his photograph. This is to cross-check the driver’s photograph with the person sitting behind the wheel. The passenger will then have to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to confirm the driver’s photo match. She will also get the option of giving details of the journey to her guardian, and be given three possible routes. If there is a deviation, the passenger will get an intimation.
“In the event of a distress call, the police will get an immediate alert along with the location of the vehicle. Based on the gravity of the situation, the police can seize the ignition system of the vehicle, arresting its movement,” said Mr. Balasubramanyam.