Pune: Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik on Tuesday described his department’s command and control centre as “bogus”, exposing lapses in a system meant to protect public transport commuters in distress.
The command and control centre was set up in 2020 to assist passengers, particularly women, travelling in buses and cabs.
Admitting that panic buttons were non-functional in several vehicles and the facility existed largely on paper, Sarnaik said he had directed the transport commissioner’s office to overhaul the system without delay. I visited the facility a couple of times but saw no improvement,” Sarnaik told TOI . State transport commissioner Rajesh Narvekar said a meeting was scheduled this week to examine the gaps. “The driver laughed and said it did not work. Why install these showpiece buttons if they serve no purpose?” she said.
“I am the transport minister, but still I am saying the system is bogus. Some people are manning the centre, but its infrastructure is missing. Multiple complaints about panic buttons failing to trigger a response raised questions about its effectiveness.
Keshav Kshirsagar, president of Indian Gig Workers’ Front, said aggregator companies started installing panic buttons in vehicles after 2020. Because of manpower constraints, an earlier attempt to integrate the system with the police helpline failed, reportedly.
Transport commissioner Narvekar said, “The system has several shortcomings. We will then send a proposal to state govt for approval before implementing it. ” Minister Sarnaik said, “In my view, panic buttons should be fully functional and present in all forms of public transport, including autorickshaws. Often the vehicle owner contacted by the centre is not the person driving it. It will take two to three weeks to put a proper system in place. We will write to the Centre to allow the govt to do the same. Drivers of older cabs purchased them from RTO-approved vendors.