New Delhi:
As part of efforts to enhance security for women and respond promptly to their distress calls, Delhi Police has revamped its helpline number 100 by increasing the number of lines from 60 to 100 and installed Global Positioning System (GPS) devices in 12,000 autos and all Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) or cluster buses.
This was conveyed by the city police to the Special Task Force headed by Union Home Secretary R K Singh, constituted to look into the safety issues of women in Delhi and review the functioning of Delhi Police, at its second meeting held here last week.
The meeting reviewed the status of different helplines; Police Control Room (PCR) Vans, DTC/cluster bus service and women help desks in Police Stations among other issues.
While reviewing helpline No. 100, Delhi Police noted that it has been revamped and the number of lines has been increased from 60 lines to 100 lines. The number of lines for phone number 1091 meant for women in distress has been increased from two to 10.
Anti-stalking Helpline No. 1096 and Helpline 1091 will be merged by making the total number of lines as 14, an official release said.
The Task Force was also informed that all DTC/Cluster buses and about 12,000 autos are already equipped with GPS devices and these have been connected with the Centralised Control Room. The Transport Department of the Delhi Government has issued instructions that all remaining public vehicles should have GPS devices before end-April 2013.
The Task Force also decided that the Home Ministry and the Delhi Police will take up the case with Telecom Authorities so that the location of the tower and the caller in distress particularly women are available to the PCR van immediately.
This measure will help the police to reach caller in distress faster.
There are 4,627 notified bus-stops at present in Delhi and out of these 1407 are already properly lit. Work is on at another 288 bus-stops which will be completed this month.
The Home Secretary mentioned that the remaining bus-stops be reconstructed with illumination facility in a time-bound manner, the release said.
Regarding the display of name, photograph of driver and staff inside the buses, Delhi Police has been asked to verify these public vehicles and start impounding the vehicles violating the revised permit conditions with immediate effect.
The issues of Photo Identity Card for public service vehicle crew, Close Circuit Television (CCTV)/Web-cam at parking and shopping malls, verification of school bus staff, vulnerable bus routes and street-lighting were also reviewed by the Task Force. Delhi Police informed that Women Help Desk at Police Stations is fully operational.
Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) stated that they have prepared a list of volunteers and would start deploying them at Women Help Desk in consultation with the Delhi Police, it said.