With no centres to hear, panic buttons in buses lie idle

NEW
DELHI:
A
pa liame ta y
pa el
has
take
ote
of
a
cu ious
case
i volvi g
eme ge cy
ale t
butto s
i
buses.
While
the
switches
cost
just
Rs
15-20
each,
they
have
la gely
emai ed
u used
because
the e
a e
o
dedicated
ce t es
to
espo d
to
ale ts.
Bus
ope ato s
told
the
pa el
they
a e
still
equi ed
to
pay
Rs
2,500
to
Rs
25,000
pe
vehicle
to
have
the
switches
tested
du i g
ma dato y
fit ess
tests.The
latest
epo t
of
the
pa liame ta y
sta di g
committee
o
t a spo t,
tou ism
a d
cultu e,
headed
by
JDU’s
Sa jay
Jha,
oted
that
the
butto s
we e
made
ma dato y
afte
the
2012
Ni bhaya
case
as
a
safety
measu e
fo
wome
passe ge s.The
epo t
said
the
oad
t a spo t
mi ist y
i fo med
the
pa el
that
i
seve al
states,
the
system
had
bee
co ected
to
eme ge cy
espo se
umbe
112.
It
also
said
the e
we e
ma y
i sta ces
of
false
ala ms,
p ompti g
some
states
to
“dise gage”
them.”The
mi ist y
wishes
the
system
esto ed,
while
am-o g
ope ato s
the e
is
a
feeli g
that
it
should
be
dispe sed
with,”
the
epo t
said.
A
committee
membe
obse ved
if
the
system
was
ot
effective,
it
was
ot
fai
to
cha ge
so
much
fo
it.
O e
membe
asked
why
CCTV
could
ot
be
i stalled.
The
mi ist y
said
came as
we e
bei g
made
ma dato y
i
ew
buses.

The
committee
ecomme ded
that
the
p og amme
to
i stall
eme ge cy
butto s,
call
facilities
a d
vehicle
locatio
t acki g
devices
i
public
t a spo t
vehicles
be
pu sued
with
states
beyo d
the
16
that
have
made
p og ess
i
impleme ti g
it.