Soon, female local commuters will have ‘hotspots’ to send SOS calls when in distress

All the hotspots will be connected via helpline network, confirmed officials.

The helpline assisted ‘hotspots’, will be on all platforms, typically in front of coaches for women, so that even commuters traveling in the train can seek assistance at the next station by quickly alighting and signaling security personnel through CCTV cameras.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu will inaugurate the first such help-line point at Churchgate railway station on
January 9.

The railway minister will also inaugurate the mobile app for women’s safety on January 9, jointly developed by Central Railway and Western Railway and developers of M indicator’ at Churchgate station.

M indicator mobile  app, commonly used  by commuters to check the railway timetable, will now allow women to use the app to send an alert in a distress situation.

“As a pilot project, apart from Churchagte , nine other stations will also see hotspots,” said an official. It will be the RPF who will then assist the women commuters confirmed railway officials.

“These  help line assisted spots will help women commuters in distress in minimum response time. It  will Minimize fake complaints. It will definitely improve the effectiveness of CCTV cameras. Display board will be help to find out the location of complainant and will also help in reducing the response time of attending the site,’’ said Anand Vijay Jha, Senior security commissioner, Mumbai division , WR.

kalpana.verma@expressindia.com