West Bengal government announces Panic buttons, CCTV cameras in all public and private buses

Kolkata: In order to make it safer for women to travel, the West Bengal government plans to put panic buttons in all public and private buses as part of the Nirbhaya programme.

On Wednesday, Parivahan Bhawan hosted a meeting with consultants to complete the placement of panic buttons on buses. The project will probably start before Pujas.

Panic buttons, CCTVs, and GPS-enabled tracking devices will be installed on the buses. In case of an emergency, passengers can hit the panic button, which is likely to be located in front of the seats. This would inform the police control room and the transportation department control room and provide video footage of the bus's interior.

As a result, the command centre will be able to notify the nearby police patrol vans. The closest police stations will receive GPS warning, making it simple to intercept the buses even on national highways. An official stated that even vehicles with national licences will have GPS.

The goal is to find any car where a sexual offence has occurred and make highways safer for women and children. According to the official, there will be ongoing awareness efforts on the panic button system for women that would include advice on how not to abuse it.

However, the official stated that the precise number of panic buttons on each bus is still being decided and may range from three to ten. Each bus will have a minimum of three CCTV cameras. When the buses arrive to receive fitness certifications or to register, the official stated that they would be required to install CCTV cameras and other tracking devices. Trucks and other vehicles totaling about 2 lakhs may be taken into consideration for the project.