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After two years, the Indian government is finally acting on installation of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=CCTVs&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">CCTVs</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=gps&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">GPS</a> in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=public+transport&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">public transport</a> vehicles. 
 
In 2014, the then UPA government had set up a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=nirbhaya+fund&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Nirbhaya fund</a> for setting up of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=panic+button&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">panic buttons</a>, CCTV cameras, <keyword id="6362652" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="GPS">GPS</keyword> in <keyword id="85028" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-transport">public transport</keyword>. But the project couldn’t see light of the day. 
 
Now, the road ministry has issued a draft for installation of the three systems in vehicles having seating capacity of 23 and above. Public transport vehicles having below 23 seats must install vehicle tracking device and emergency button. 
 
The draft stated that the the tracking device, alert button and CCTV surveillance system devices shall be fitted by the manufacturer or the dealer or the respective operators, as the case may be. 
 <keyword id="1577170" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirbhaya-fund">Nirbhaya fund</keyword>, which was set up after a 23-year-old woman was brutally gang-raped in a moving bus in Delhi in December 2012, was made to map routes of public vehicles and crack down on any violations. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

2 years on, public transport vehicles to be fitted with CCTVs, GPS

Budget 2022-23 reflects the vision of the union government in reimagining cities as centres of sustainable living with opportunities for all, including the youth and women. The unwavered and continued thrust of the budget on Nari Shakti (women power) with focus on education, skilling, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion is commendable. What is not desirable is the unidimensional approach to enhancing women’s access within urban centres. This year, the gender budget in urban spaces is dominated by the allocations of ₹520 crores for safe cities, ₹250 crores for emergency response, ₹20 crores for the safety of women in public <keyword id="6354639" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="road" source="Orion">road</keyword> transport, and ₹5.27 crore for the safety of women tourists. This is indeed a much-needed step in the right direction. Safety is a key factor enabling women’s unfettered access to economic opportunities that a city has to offer. At the same time, as India begins a critical 25-year journey to 100 years of independence, the country should expand its approach to women empowerment from protection against unsafe incidents to inclusion. In other words, India’s safe city paradigm should shift to cover safer and inclusive streets and public spaces. Budget allocations towards well-functioning and continuous street lighting, public amenities such as toilets, and lounge areas for women, more ‘eyes on the street’ as natural surveillance through mixed-land use and presence of hawkers and diverse gender/age population are low-hanging high-impact initiatives cities should undertake. Additionally, planning measures such as bus services on routes frequented by women, multimodal and first- last-mile connectivity, providing real-time transport schedules, developing on-demand stops at night, etc., are a few but necessary measures to provide safety in public transportation. Combined with accessible and seamless grievance redressal systems and safety audits, the effectiveness of safe city initiatives can be ensured. Recognising that gender issues are not unidimensional, safe cities should operate at the intersection of different identities and marginalisations. The safety and accessibility needs of elderly women, pregnant women, women with young children, and women with disabilities, et al need to be integrated into safe city initiatives of India, with learnings for the world. Catering to intersectionality would enable cities to implement wider footpaths, kerb ramps, handrails, spacious restrooms, seating spaces, feeding areas, etc., creating a more inclusive built environment. Additionally, a gender-mainstreamed city plan and associated budgets should take into account facilities like childcare centres, play areas, community centres, clustering of daily amenities either placed along or within walking distance of transit stops, and rental housing for working women. Safe city initiatives for women, therefore, should be rebranded as Safe, Accessible, and Inclusive City initiatives. That’s the only way for cities to reduce their overreliance on <keyword id="6354857" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cctv" source="Orion">CCTV</keyword> cameras and instead enable the freedom of movement of women at all times of the day and night. The current approach to safe cities has the risk of leaving women’s ‘right to the city’ unattended, thereby holding them back from living full lives. For instance, the existing premise is that unless a city installs CCTV cameras on all roads, every nook and corner, women’s mobility will be curtailed. Women may not be able to work late at night or pursue education far away from home. But are CCTVs effective in minimising gender-based violence and making women “feel safe”? At best these cameras can help solve crime after it has been committed and may to some degree minimise crime by increasing the risk of detection for criminal behaviour. India, thus, urgently needs to expand the paradigm of safe cities, and place safe, accessible, and inclusive mobility front and centre. This is not just what the authors of this op-ed want, but what girls and women across India need and deserve. Women constantly make decisions about their commute and expect public transport systems to be affordable, reliable, frequent, comfortable, clean, and safe. Women’s mobility involves trip chaining, travelling with dependents or in off-peak hours, etc. Thus, safety is not the sole priority. Recognising this and leveraging Budget 2022-23, India should aspire to integrate gender equity – comprehensively address women’s needs – in urban planning, development, and governance. The above should be combined with digitalisation and the use of geo-spatial data to track, compare and represent longer-term developments - aspects that the budget already emphasises upon, and justifiably so. Use of mapping and geotagging to report incidents, and notify other women of unsafe areas will have a profound impact on women’s mobility. This would allow for the implementation of safe, accessible, and inclusive city initiatives in an agile, responsive fashion. Overall, unlocking Nari Shakti is not only about women being safe from harassment, but also about enabling their meaningful participation in shaping urban governance and development. Just as India is leading by example by enabling a woman finance minister to steer the country towards growth and sustainable development, all cities and states too should enable women to have a seat at the decision-making table. Women’s voices - needs and aspirations - would thus be heard, leading to the creation of gender-inclusive built environments accompanied by urban policies and budgets. Even as the Union Budget provides a fillip to urban planning, it is imperative that women plan with the city and not be planned for. Multi-level, multi-sectoral, and multi-stakeholder engagement will lead to sustained progress on gender equity. We need gender-sensitive transformative urban policies at all government levels with intersectional coalitions for implementing and closing the feedback loop. This should be supplemented through gender-disaggregated data collection, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes to assess impacts, gender-budgeting at the city level, and increased public awareness. As the budget lays the blueprint for India@2047, it is time to tap into the potential of Nari Shakti by ensuring that investments benefit them, and we realise the vision of a women-led Atmanirbhar Bharat. Aishwarya Raman is Director and Head of Research, Ola Mobility Institute (OMI). Aishwarya Agarwal is Research Associate, Accessibility and Inclusion, OMI. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/adani-wilmar-tvs-motor-bharti-airtel-irctc-and-other-hot-stocks-on-february-8/slidelist/89418927.cms">Adani Wilmar, TVS Motor, Bharti Airtel, IRCTC and other hot stocks on February 8</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/interview-indias-latest-software-unicorn-is-wetting-its-feet-in-america-after-holding-its-horses-for-seven-years/articleshow/89409491.cms">INTERVIEW: India’s latest software unicorn is wetting its feet in America after holding its horses for seven years</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/future-groups-kishore-biyani-mohandas-pai-and-68-others-invest-in-former-twitter-india-heads-latest-startup/articleshow/89403045.cms">Future Group’s Kishore Biyani, Mohandas Pai and 68 others invest in former Twitter India head’s latest startup</a>

OPINION: There’s more to making roads safer for women than just CCTV cameras

<ul><li>In the <keyword id="6200577" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="union-budget-2019">Union Budget 2019</keyword>, <keyword id="6355261" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance-minister">Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> said <keyword id="6355455" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-railways">Indian railways</keyword> will see public private partnerships for faster development and completion of projects.</li><li>The capital expenditure for Indian railways stands at ₹1.5 lakh- ₹1.6 lakh per annum. </li><li>Indian Railways earned ₹2,01,090 crore in 2018-19 which is a 7% increase from the revised estimates of 2017-18. </li></ul>In the Union Budget 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that railways in India will be open for public private partnerships for faster development and completion of projects.The FM further mentioned that Indian railways have been given a ₹50 lakh crore allocation between 2018-2030. The capital expenditure on the other hand stands at ₹1.5 lakh- ₹1.6 lakh per annum. It was expected that the Narendra Modi government would maintain its focus on aggressive development of transportation infrastructure by infusing in major programmes it introduced last year — that includes railway station redevelopment programme, inland waterways development, the Namami Gange project, the Swachh Bharat Mission, UDAN (Airports), metro rail and Smart Cities (Urban Infra). In the previous budget, the government promised to introduce bullet trains, revamp of signalling systems, CCTVs, Wi-Fi, escalators and other such services at stations, in the massive budget boost where in they allocated Rs 1.48 lakh crore for the Indian railways. The total allocated capital expenditure for 2018-19 is Rs 1,48,528 crore which is a 24% increase from the 2017-18 revised estimates Rs 1,20,000 crore. Analysts are expecting to improve the ordinary passenger service rather than the much awaited bullet train that can cost ₹60,000 crore per train. How much does Railways earn Indian Railways earned ₹2,01,090 crore in 2018-19 which is a 7% increase from the revised estimates of 2017-18. The government invests capital expenditure in form of Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) to expand government’s network in India. In 2018-19, the gross budgetary support from central government is proposed at Rs 55,088 crore. This is a 38% increase from the revised estimates of 2017-18 (Rs 41,813 crore). However, in 2017-18 (revised estimates) GBS decreased by 12%. That is, the central government gave Railways Rs 5,231 crore less than what it had allocated in 2016-17. Internal revenue from passenger and freight traffic “In 2016-17, freight traffic contributed to about 63% of the internal revenue. In comparison, passenger traffic contributed to about 28% of the internal revenue. In 2018-19, Railways expects to earn 61% of its internal revenue from freight and 26% from passenger traffic. The remaining 10% is earned through other miscellaneous sources such as parcel service, coaching receipts, and platform tickets.” according to PRS India.

Union Budget 2019: Indian Railways has been opened up to private partnerships for faster development

At the heart of the 100 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=smart+cities&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">smart cities</a> project of the present government is a desire to drive urbanization in our country. India’s urban population currently at around 350 million is estimated to touch 600 million by 2030. 
 
With growing <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=urbanisation&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">urbanization</a> and infrastructure, public services will also be required to ramped up with support of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=technology&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">technology</a>, and made more efficient and trustworthy. 
 
The performance of public services such as police, government hospitals, fire safety and even those that address national calamities in a city, determines citizen confidence and also the reputation of the city amongst both residents and non-residents. 
 
Private enterprise can partner with government to ramp up solutions in areas that impact basic safety and security and peace of mind of citizens. 
 
How will it work? 
 There's a broad range of crisis situations that we face on a daily basis—this holds true whether one is living in <keyword id="6377036" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="smart-cities">smart cities</keyword> or in our present cities. If a personal safety provision backed by <keyword id="6355118" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="technology">technology</keyword> and an immediate and reliable assistance service is made available, it will make urban life less stressful. This ensures live assistance that can actually be present to protect citizens from real or perceived harm. 
 
CCTVs, vehicle tracking systems, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=gps&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">GPS</a> enabled transport modes are all part of the equation, more so in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=public+transport&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">public transportation systems</a> like cabs etc., where the incidents of “lone commuters” are common. However, these need to be complemented by prompt and reliable assistance. 
 
Providing this service is not rocket science and in a PPP scenario, it would require cooperation and responsibility from all stakeholders, including government agencies and private enterprise as well as end users such as employers and citizens. 
 
As things stand, in places such as the NCR region, police authorities and other public agencies are able to solve about half the crimes but an additional safety and security provision can avert any untoward incident if the affected party had access to prompt action and someone who could help. 
 
Because of the huge infiltration of smartphones, there are a lot of apps that act as an alerting mechanism to family members when one's security and safety are under threat. Offerings of such nature are largely driven by private enterprises that have seen an opportunity to fill the gap that in developed nations is provided for the most part by government. 
 
These apps act as great communication mechanisms, but will need to be followed up with by timely action. In times of panic, though, the best of us may lose judgment of what may be the right thing to do. At such a time, having the right assistance, of someone trained, who is well versed in handling a broad range of situations, can prevent an edgy situation from further escalation. These could include a personal medical emergency or a road rage situation that's become uncontrollable or simply having someone check on you to ensure your personal safety when using public transport in late hours or to deserted areas. 
 
The involvement of private enterprise in large infrastructure projects seemed impractical in the 1970s and 80s, but today it is clearly one of the largest PPP markets in India. Similarly, if government enters into partnerships with private enterprises, to make citizens feel more secure about their personal safety, an impact will be made, both in the short and long term. 
 
(The article is written by Arvind Khanna, founder of <a href="http://www.onetouchresponse.com/">One Touch Response</a>)

Here’s how the govt can ensure safer smart cities via PPP model

The 100 <keyword id="2474960" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="smart-cities-project">smart cities project</keyword>, part of the Smart Cities Mission, recently got further impetus when with the government shortlisted 20 cities, which will first be developed as smart cities. 
 
The smart cities project seeks to develop 100 cities that will be more citizen-friendly and sustainable, with an endeavor to push urbanization in India. The NDMC area of New Delhi among others is in the recently announced shortlist of 20. 
 
Currently, at around a population of 350 million with an estimate to touch 600 million by 2030, urbanization in India is lagging behind developed nations and BRIC nations. Most developed nations, for instance, have an urban population of over 80%. China’s urban population is 54% and Brazil’s is at a surprising 90%. 
 
India’s urban population is at around 30% and this is set to increase rapidly because of her huge youth population, migrating to cities for growth and employment opportunities. 
 
The vision for smart cities is to provide urban services that address citizens’ needs with efficient governance, thus improving the quality of life in Indian cities. It will involve infrastructure investments, efficient transport systems, waste management and water management systems, energy efficiency systems, design and architectural innovations, IT connectivity, and e-governance mechanisms, which in order to fall in place will require Public Private Partnerships. 
 
However, for the mission to be successful, a grassroot-level requirement would be to ensure safety and security of citizens. The reality is that Indian cities are not safe. 
 
Delhi has been adjudged as one of the most violent places in India, even cities like Bengaluru, which is known as the start-up hub of the country, features as a high crime region, making its citizens fear for their personal safety. 
 
Safety and security in smart cities: What it entails 
 
Safety and security is in fact an important feature of smart cities. CCTVs, vehicle tracking systems, GPS enabled transport modes are all part of the equation, but also needed is a prompt, reliable, and fool-proof safety and security assistance that can actually be present to protect the individual from real or perceived harm. 
 
Providing this service is not rocket science but it requires in today’s age of connectedness, a strong technology backed by a trustworthy and capable service. 
 
While it may be true that about half the crimes are solved by police authorities in NCR and the criminals are brought to book, it may be in some cases the crime could have been averted if the affected party had access to prompt action and someone who could help. 
 
There are private enterprises that have risen to the occasion and are attempting to fill the gap that in developed nations is provided for the most part by government. 
 
Because of the huge infiltration of smartphones, there are a lot of apps that act as an alerting mechanism to family members when one’s security and safety are under threat. 
 
These apps act as great communication mechanisms, but will need to be backed by timely action. In times of panic, though, the best of us may lose judgment of what may be the right thing to do. At such a time, having the right assistance, of someone trained, who is well versed in handling a broad range of situations, can prevent an edgy situation from further escalation. These could include a personal medical emergency or a road rage situation that’s become uncontrollable or simply having someone check on you to ensure your personal safety when using public transport in late evening hours or to deserted areas. 
 
There’s a broad range of crisis situations we face on a daily basis that make us feel vulnerable—this holds true whether one is living in smart cities or in our cities as they are today. If a personal safety and immediate assistance service is able to make a difference to even the life of one person, then getting this type of safety and security service in place for citizens would create goodwill and make urban life less stressful for citizens. 
 Start with the basics—ease of reach through an app or a help line, an embedded GPS that would help determine an affected party’s location (again something that has been amiss in several incidents reported till even recently in NCR), a command and control center that is able to guide callers until live help in the form of a trained responders team reaches, a partnership with government authorities, police, hospitals that are able to help in such situations, is a good place to start. Things companies such as <keyword id="2773238" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="One-Touch-Response">One Touch Response</keyword> have already done, in our effort to make citizens of Delhi NCR feel more secure. 
 
(The author of this article is Arvind Khanna, Founder of One Touch Response)

You Searched For "CCTVs in public transport" and got 6 results

2 years on, public transport vehicles to be fitted with CCTVs, GPS

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OPINION: There’s more to making roads safer for women than just CCTV cameras

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Union Budget 2019: Indian Railways has been opened up to private partnerships for faster development

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Here’s how the govt can ensure safer smart cities via PPP model

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Citizen safety and security: An essential pillar needed to transform our cities into smart cities

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The entire list and a brief profile of 'Delhi ke nirmata'⁠— the makers of Delhi felicitated at Kejriwal's oath taking ceremony

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