The change around you
All taxis, buses and public transport vehicles, barring three-wheelers and e-rickshaws, will have to install location tracking device or GPS and an alert button from April 1. The road transport ministry has reiterated the deadline amid reports that most of the states had not done much to meet the target in this regard, according to a report on Jan 18, 2018 in The Times of India.
From 1st April, 2018, passenger transport vehicles including taxis and buses are to be mandatorily equipped with GPS devices - the ministry tweeted on Wednesday. A senior official said there will be no extension to roll out these passenger safety measures in public transport vehicles.
Any time can be an undesired time with very bad experience of painful moments. Going out of the home brings a lot of fear for safe destination reaching and safely coming home. It is important that somehow we could stay informed of the present location. Many case studies reveal unbelievable and painful events with old age people, teenage people, mentally and physically challenged people. Technology can help us to a really great extent.
Safety features in vehicles had been under discussion for long. After an unfortunate event in Delhi in December 2012, the government has given more and more preference to safety and security issues. The central government created a special fund in 2013 for the same. In June 2016, it was made mandatory for public transport buses to install emergency buttons, CCTV cameras and vehicle tracking devices to ensure safety of women commuters. Now in January 2018, the dealine is strictly notified for April 1, 2018.
Are we travelling only with public transport? Are we unsafe only when travelling with public transport? Is government alone responsible for our beloved ones safety and security? Are we waiting for a government ordinance to act ourselves for our own safety and security? The simple question is: do we really care, can technology help us, is it offordable like anything else?