On the eve of International Women’s Day, Delhi government on Wednesday launched a pilot project of the “panic alarm system” in DTC buses to ensure safety of women passengers. The move is likely to encourage women to use modes of public transport.

Delhi Transport Minister, Kailash Gahlot said the panic alarms in DTC buses will add the third line of defense to ensure women safety.

“Our government has already deployed bus marshalls in all DTC buses, and implemented CCTVs in 200 DTC buses on a pilot basis. By March 2019, we will be scaling up all these three initiatives to cover all DTC and cluster buses thereby guaranteeing a safe and harassment-free bus ride for Delhi’s women,” Gahlot said.

The pilot project for panic alarm system has been launched in five cluster buses of Rajghat-2 depot and plying on route 522.

The project has been implemented in collaboration with a Bangalore-based NGO, Project Durga, working in the area of women safety and gender equity in public spaces in India.

All the bus crew members (drivers and conductors) covered under pilot project of panic alarm system have been trained in operating and responding to the panic alarm system.

An on-board announcements and LED display boards will announce that the bus is equipped with a panic alarm system, especially to address women safety related issues.

In each bus, four panic buttons have been installed to cover the entire length. If any of the alarms is pressed, a loud beeping alarm will be activated for forty seconds, during which time it cannot be deactivated.

Upon hearing the alarm, the driver will take the bus to the left-most part of the road and bring it to stop. The conductor will be able to see exactly which location the alarm was pressed, and intervene in the situation.

If the situation isn’t minor and cannot be addressed on the spot, the conductor will immediately call the depot manager, who will intimate PCR van, if necessary.

The panic alarm system will also be integrated with the bus GPS location, so that every time the alarm is pressed, the depot manager and central command centre of cluster bus operations at DIMTS Kashmere Gate get an immediate alert.