Pvt cabs with cameras to help cops identify vulnerable spots

New Delhi: Keeping in mind the safety of women passengers, cabs in Delhi run by a particular cab aggregator company will later this month be attached with a camera which will monitor the streets and help city police identify the dark stretches in the Capital.

Sources in Delhi Police also claimed that the child lock feature in most such cabs – which give drivers the option to lock and unlock doors on the passenger side of the cab – will also be disabled.

Sources told Millennium Post that Delhi Police have roped in an NGO, along with the private cab aggregator company, to launch these new initiatives. "The camera, which will be attached to the company cab, will click photos at regular intervals of time along the path that the cab travels," said a police source.

The photos will be later analysed by Delhi Police and if they find any dark and/or deserted stretches, they will inform the concerned agencies and ask them to light up those areas.

With the help of these photos, city police will also be able keep a tab on the security at different locations.

"The photos will help us to know the security condition of the area. If we find less security in some places, it will be enhanced," said the source.

Deputy Commissioner of Police and Delhi Police PRO Madhur Verma confirmed the news and claimed that they will be coming with the initiative in upcoming week.

Explaining the rationale behind disabling the child lock in cabs, sources said that its presence increases chances of crimes against women, as passengers will not be able to open the cab doors from the inside, if and when they want to.

Earlier, Delhi Police had relaunched its emergency safety app 'Himmat Plus.' The Facebook page of Delhi Traffic Police and Twitter handle of Delhi Police have also been linked with the Himmat Plus app, to provide traffic updates as well other updates of Delhi Police for the benefit of users.

According to police sources, a special feature for scanning the QR codes of drivers of taxies, three-seater auto rickshaws (TSRs) and e-rickshaws across the capital is also built in the new application.

The details of 2,000 taxi drivers at Delhi airport and approximately 1,000 drivers of TSRs and e-Rickshaws were collected and fed in the server of Himmat Plus app.

Each driver of such taxi, TSR and/or e-Rickshaw was provided a 'QR card' to be placed in their vehicle.