New measures unveiled to enhance safety of women in Delhi

New Delhi: Thorough verification of the crew of all public transport vehicles, installation of GPS devices, appointment of lady police personnel and increasing the number of PCR vans are some of the measures government unveiled on Monday to improve safety of women in the city.

The decisions were taken by the Centre following a series of meetings held by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth following public protests in the wake of gangrape of a girl in Delhi in December last year.

Soon, Delhi government will issue a draft notification for revising the permit conditions for public transport vehicles incorporating provisions for disallowing use of inappropriate films and tinted glasses, higher punishment for repeat offences and a number of other measures. The final notification will be issued within a month. A 100 per cent verification for drivers, conductors and helpers of the public transport vehicles plying in Delhi will be ensured in a time-bound programme which will include collecting bio-metrics of all such persons as well.

For this, action will be taken to review the relevant rules for mandating the same. The Home Ministry would develop a protocol soon for verification of the crew of public transport vehicles.

After a stipulated time frame, no public transport vehicle will be allowed to be driven or manned by any driver, conductor and helper or other crew member unless such a person has been verified and carries the verification certificate.

Owners of buses will be held responsible for compliance of the steps outlined. The government proposes to debar owners of vehicles involved in repeat offences from retaining existing permits and obtaining any fresh permits for plying public transport vehicles.

The particulars of the bus owner and drivers and details of permit and license will have to be prominently displayed in the buses both inside and outside at places where it is prominently visible in easily readable fonts.

The government also plans to ensure installation of GPS devices in all public transport vehicles along with setting up of a control room to monitor movement of buses.

Emphasising the need to recruit more women in the police force, government said the Home Ministry will take necessary action to recruit women in large numbers in Delhi Police within this financial year.

To improve policing, a proposal for adding 370 PCR vans has already been sent by Delhi Police to the Ministry.

Approval in this regard is proposed to be expedited within this financial year. The government also proposed to have a policewoman in PCR vans, particularly in those deployed in the vicinity of educational institutions, cinema halls, malls and markets, as also the routes frequented by women employees of BPOs returning from work at night.

The government is also planning to have some more 'all-women' police stations in the city. As part of efforts to enhance security, CCTV cameras are being installed at various places. At present, a CCTV system is functional at 34 markets and four border check posts in Delhi.

To further increase the number of CCTVs in public places, police will elicit the cooperation of all stakeholders such as traders' associations, RWAs, managers of commercial and office buildings, malls, cinemas, NGOs.