Nitin Gadkari introduces buses with safety features for women passengers

In an attempt to provide safe and secure transport to women, the minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari dedicated 20 buses of the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation, with IT-enabled safety measures to the public, at a function in the capital.

As an initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) under the ‘Nirbhaya Scheme’, 10 luxury buses and 10 general buses have been provided with Vehicle Tracking System (VTS), CCTV cameras and panic buttons on every seat to provide immediate help to women passengers in distress. 

Speaking on the occasion, Gadkari said that certain unfortunate incidents in the recent past have forced his ministry to take this step, so that women travelling in buses will be safer. He informed that the CCTV cameras, the VTS and especially the panic buttons will enable the police to know the exact location of the bus and provide prompt assistance. The minister also said that efforts would be made to ensure that the scheme is extended to other buses in other states in due course. He added that buses in future should be manufactured along with these features.

Moreover, MoRTH will issue a notification after June 2, 2016, making it mandatory for public vehicles with seating capacity of 23 or more to have CCTV camera, vehicle location tracking device and panic buttons. Those with seating capacity of less than 23 will be required to have vehicle tracking device and emergency buttons. A draft notification has already been issued in this regard. 

The minister for Women & Child Development, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi who was also present during the function, thanked the Rajasthan Government for the initiative. She said that the project would help in preventing as well as rescuing children who are kidnapped. She expressed her desire to extend the system in trains as well. 

The chairperson of National Commission for Women, Lalitha Kumar Mangalam said that these measures will give confidence to women when travelling in buses at night. Also present on the occasion was the minister for Transport of Rajasthan, Yoonus Khan who took the initiative to make Rajasthan the first state to ply such buses.