Kolkata cops want panic button in app cabs

KOLKATA: The police have reiterated the pre-pandemic demand to fit panic buttons in cabs along with vehicle-tracking location devices. This was after an app-cab driver was arrested for causing injury to a passenger while trying to speed away after snatching her cellphone when she was trying to call the cops. The state government has already issued a notification on tracking devices.
"We have been in touch with the transport department and have requested them to ensure that a deadline is set for fixing the devices," said an officer.
While app cab aggregators and operators were against physical panic buttons, pointing out that the feature is already available to a rider in his or her cellphone, the cab unions raised the issue of price anomalies on the tracking device. Transport department officials have hinted that the deadline could get extended to October 30.
"Had the panic button been there, the cabby would have thought twice before doing what he did," said an officer. They plan to send a report of the incident to the transport department.
The report will include how cops had trouble nabbing the accused Md Ashfaque (37). "The cab's registration number was obtained from the app cab service, but they did not have a dedicated monitoring system," said an officer.
The mother of one of the two victims told TOI on Saturday that the app cab company contacted the family through email, saying they would like to pay for the treatment. "She is still in pain. Her teeth - two of which broke - are in bad shape and we would be consulting specialists on Monday. However, my daughter will attend college since campus placements are going on," she said.