1000 autos in Vizag to have special IoT device for women safety

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Monday, launched the Abhayam Project in a move to bolster the security of women and kids travelling by autos across the state. As part of the project, autos in the state will be fitted with Internet of Things (IoT) enabled tracking devices that will allow passengers to alert authorities in case of an emergency. In the first phase, 1000 autos, fitted with these devices, will hit the road in Vizag. While 5,000 autos are slated to be installed with the devices by February 2021, about 1,00,000 vehicles are likely to be equipped with the IoT facility by November next year.

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Mekatoti Sucharitha, Principal Secretary (Road Transport and Buildings) MT Krishna Babu, and officials from the police department were present at the launch event of the Abahayam Project.

Speaking to Yo! Vizag earlier, Deputy Transport Commissioner of Vizag, GC Raja Ratnam said that autos in the city will have panic buttons, which are essentially IoT devices. They will be integrated with the Command Control Room in Vijayawada and the 112 Emergency Response Support System (ERSS). Once a distressed passenger presses the button, the Command Control Room relays it to the nearest police station to rescue the supposed victim. The feature also enables the live-tracking of the vehicle. Any deviation from the route thus alerts the control room, he informed.

As an added security feature, the autos will also flaunt a QR code. Upon scanning the QR code, passengers will receive information regarding the auto and its driver. Passengers would also be able to fetch these details by downloading the concerned app and entering the vehicle number. For additional security, they can even share their location and route through the app, Mr Ratnam said.

Sharing details about the initiative, Home Minister Mekatoti Sucharitha said that once the panic button is pressed, a sound of “help” will be produced from the vehicle. Also, as soon as the button is pressed, the vehicle will automatically come to a halt, she said.