After the brutal gangrape of a 23-year-old paramedic student on a private bus in New Delhi, it was decided in 2012 that all the public transportation will be equipped with Global positioning system (GPS) device to keep the track of all vehicles for the safety of denizens. The Union Government also cleared approximately `1,400 crore budget for safety of women for the specific purpose.
Keeping the project in mind and to equip the transportation system with the GPS, the State Government too has woken up to the need to use GPS technology in all the city buses.
Citing details about the GPS project, Kishore Mantri, proprietor of KMT Travel and contractor who has taken the charge to run city buses under JNNURM scheme, said, “Presently, we are running 51 city buses. The proposal has been given to us to put GPS technology in all the buses. We have set the GPS in 10 buses plying from ITI to Dhurwa. The contactors are bearing the GPS expenses and will be refunded. The cost of putting GPS at one bus is approximately `8,000.”
“However, in the contract it was not mentioned to embed the city buses with the GPS facility but for the safety of denizens, we are taking the step and by March all the city buses will have the GPS facility,” added Mantri.
Similarly, Ramendra Prasad, social development specialist and team leader of JNNURM cell, said, “To enhance urban transportation, such steps are mandatory and with the urban development department the step has been taken. It has been taken in writing from all operators to bear the expenses and put the GPS in their respective buses and shortly the expenses incurred will be given by urban development department.”
The prime motto is to link every city buses to local control rooms and a central server so that police can reach the spot using GPS technology and provide safety to the denizens.
“We are running the control room in the office of KMT limited and the server is set there for monitoring the activities. Within three days we will submit the numbers of city buses embedded with GPS devices to municipality,” added Mantri.
Justice JS Verma committee that examined the December 2012, fatal Nirbhaya gang rape case and has made several recommendations relating to safety of women. The proposal included setting up of a unified tracking system in every state to ensure safety of travelers.
Denizens too feel that this initiative is helpful to enhance the transportation system in the state capital. “If GPS devices are embedded in all the city buses, travelling in night will become much safer and easy for girls and women in the State capital,” said, Meera Arora, a college student.