Body cams must for women’s safety
3,62,622 vehicles owe around Rs 1,589 crore, with authorities focusing particularly on persistent and high-value defaulters, according to the VAHAN database. The government has sub-allotted Rs 4.35 crore to police authorities for road-safety measures, while an annual action plan involving Rs 76 crore has been sent to the finance department for concurrence after the chief minister’s approval. “Ever since the govt has introduced free-bus rides for women of the state, we have been receiving complaints that buses are not stopping at the designated bus stops. The department has simultaneously launched a drive to recover outstanding motor vehicle tax.
The move follows complaints from women passengers about buses allegedly skipping designated stops and instances of misbehaviour by conductors, the minister said. Such behaviour will not be tolerated,” Singh said. “We have undertaken a series of initiatives to make public transport safer, more accessible, affordable, efficient and responsive to the needs of the people,” Singh said.
The department is also strengthening its grievance-redressal system with dedicated helplines and control rooms linked to the central facility that tracks government buses in real time. “The 24×7 grievance redressal will be linked with the central control room from where buses are tracked live. Conductors often misbehave with women. We consider women Matri Shakti. Road safety spending is also being stepped up.
On the basis of the complaint, prosecution will be initiated after verifying the video captured in the bodycam,” Bengal transport minister Arjun Singh said on Thursday.