MP govt mulls panic buttons in passenger vehicles

The Madhya Pradesh government is planning to install tracking devices and panic buttons in all commercial passenger vehicles in a bid to ensure the safety of passengers, especially women.

State Transport Minister Govind Rajput Wednesday said that a GPS-based control-cum-command centre would be set up in the state capital to track the real time location of such commercial vehicles.

"We are planning to introduce GPS-based tracking devices and panic (emergency) buttons in all commercial passenger vehicles including buses and taxis," the minister told a press conference.

Rajput said a GPS based control-cum-command centre would also be set up in the state capital to know the real time location of such commercial vehicles.

"The panic buttons for emergency situations will be installed in the commercial passenger vehicles. If pressed, these panic buttons will send signals to the command centre so that help can be extended quickly. The move is aimed at ensuring the safety of passengers, especially women," he said.

The minister also said that a test driving track would be set up at every divisional headquarters under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Rajput said the transport department had issued 25,000 driving licenses to girls for free till February this year by holding camps in college campuses.