A few days after a tourist couple from West Bengal was assaulted in a private bus in Puri, police on Thursday launched a helpline number to ensure safety of tourists visiting the pilgrim town.The tourists can dial Helpline number 63709 67100, which would be available round the clock as a single-window contact number, to lodge any grievance. The number would be displayed in all tourist buses.
A meeting of all private tourist bus associations was held under the chairmanship of Puri SP Kanwar Vishal Singh on Thursday for discussion on various related issues. It was decided that sensitisation and behavioural change sessions of all bus drivers and helpers would be held frequently. Office-bearers of the associations assured the district police of their full cooperation to ensure best-user experience to all tourists coming to Puri. Notably, a tourist couple from West Bengal had been beaten up by staffs of a private bus in Puri on February 1 after they asked the latter they wanted to alight near Harihar Square. Later, legal action was taken by the Sea Beach police and the accused was apprehended.