After the horrific rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata, police across India are gearing up to enhance safety for women. In a latest initiative, Haryana Police has introduced a new real-time tracking feature on WhatsApp, especially for women who are travelling alone at night. Through this initiative, women in Haryana and Gurgaon can now share their live location on WhatsApp with the police to ensure their safety.
This initiative is part of Haryana Police’s Emergency Response Support System (ERSS). To register, a woman has to dial on the helpline number ‘112’ and share her travel details including her name, mobile number, starting point, destination and expected travel times. The Haryana dial ‘112’ team will then track the woman’s location and stay in contact with her until she reaches her destination.
There is also an option for the female passenger to stay connected with cops over phone call till the time she reaches her destination. During the journey, the team will regularly check with the woman to ensure no security concerns arise, and she feels unsafe, police assistance will be immediately provided.
Bihar Police’s safety initiative for women
To ensure safety of women passengers in 38 districts across the state, Bihar Police has launched an initiative called ‘Surakshit Safar Suvidha’. Under this, women can seek police help by dialling 112 if they feel insecure while travelling. This service will be available free of cost 24 hours.
When any woman passenger calls 112, her journey will be continuously monitored by the control centre of Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) in Patna and the police will assist her in reaching her destination safely.
Initially this facility was launched on September 5 in Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Begusarai and Nalanda districts. However, now this facility is available across all districts of Bihar. In this way, free service of Bihar Police has started in 38 districts of Bihar.
Satara police’s ‘Abhaya’ initiative for women
Meanwhile, to enhance the safety of women on the roads, Satara Police in Maharashtra is planning to launch an initiative named ‘Abhaya’. Under the initiative, QR codes will be installed in auto rickshaws throughout Satara. Women passengers can connect with emergency services simply by scanning the QR code with smartphones to receive help in any situation.
If a woman scans the QR code, the police helpline will receive her mobile number along with her current location. Following this, police teams from the nearest police station will be deployed for further assistance.
While, initially the police plan to install QR codes in 2,500 auto rickshaws in the towns of Satara and Karad, the QR codes will be installed in auto rickshaws across the district in the next few months. The police will also conduct training sessions on how to use the QR codes effectively.
