Gadkari launches safety feature-rich Nirbhaya buses

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday launches 20 Nirbhaya buses of Rajasthan State Transport Corporation with multiple safety measures to better protect women passengers.

"Certain unfortunate incidents in the recent past have forced the ministry to take this step, so that women travelling in buses are more safe," Gadkari said in a statement here.

Nirbhaya bus security measures include Vehicle Tracking System (VTS), CCTV and panic buttons on every seat.

"The VTS and the panic buttons will enable the police to know the exact location of the bus and provide prompt assistance," he said.

Gadkari said directions in this regard will be given to other states in due course of time, adding that buses in the future should be manufactured with such safety features to contain anti-social elements.

After June 2, the ministry will issue a notification mandating public vehicles with a seating capacity of more than 23 seats to fix closed-circuit television, VTS and panic buttons while vehicles below 23 seats will be asked to install VTS and emergency buttons, the statement added.

--IANS

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