Autos in Vizag fitted with special safety device: 4 things you need to know

In a bid to improve the safety for women and children travelling by autos across Andhra Pradesh, the state government launched the Abhayam Project on Monday. Inaugurated by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Project involves fitting auto-rickshaws with specially designed devices that enable passengers to fetch help in times of emergency. In the first phase, as many as 1000 autos, fitted with the tracking devices, will be hitting the road in Vizag. Here are 5 things you need to know about the safety device that autos in Vizag have been equipped with.

#1 IoT-powered devices

The tracking devices and powered by the Internet of Things. The installation will be monitored using a web application. The movement of all the vehicles and driver behaviour will be monitored through GPS installed with the IoT device in the vehicle. The monitoring will be done through a dashboard from the Command Control Centre.

#2 Security via a mobile app

The passengers need to install Abhayam mobile application from the App Store/Play Store. Before boarding the vehicle, the passengers have to scan the QR code affixed on the vehicle and the details of the driver, along with a photo and vehicle number, will be displayed for verification.

#3 Tracking the trip

Once boarded, the route will be geo-fenced upon selection of route, from three possible routes. by the passenger,. The trip details can be shared with their confidants.
While the aforementioned process can be followed if the passenger possesses a smartphone, those who do not have a phone can press the panic button in the IoT device fitted in the vehicle.

#4 Alerting authorities for help

If the passenger gets abused or the driver deviates from the selected route, she can press the panic button on the IoT device or hard press the screen of the mobile phone. Once the panic button is pressed, the Command Control Centre will be alerted, which in turn, after verification, will assign the situation to police officials located in the vicinity of the vehicle.

As an immediate measure, the engine of the vehicle will come to halt and a hooter will start producing sound in local vernacular language for help. The police officials can then access the location of the vehicle, and the corresponding driver details, to take action.

About the Abhayam Project:

The Abhayam Project has been sanctioned by the Government of India, under the Nirbhaya scheme. The Project will be funded by the Government of India (GoI) and the Government of Andhra Pradesh in the ratio of 60:40. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 138.49 crores. While the GoI will fund Rs. 83.09 crores, the Andhra Pradesh government will fund the remaining Rs 55.39 crores. Reportedly, the GoI has already released Rs 58.64 crores.

While the first saw the CM launch 1000 safety device-equipped autos in Vizag, fitted with the IoT devices, the Project is slated to be extended to 5000 vehicles by February 2021, 50,000 vehicles by July 2021, and 1,00,000 vehicles by November 2021.