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Women safety worries: Poor placement, glitches make panic buttons ineffective in Lko
Installed in traffic booths and behind hoardings, the panic buttons are hardly visible to commuters. At Hazratganj, one button was found behind a hoarding near a bank wall, partly covered by tree branches. At the 1090 intersection, a button was placed on a traffic booth, making it almost impossible to locate.
Panic buttons installed across major intersections in the state capital under the Smart City project for women’s safety are proving ineffective, as many remain hidden and unnoticed, a ground visit by HT revealed on Sunday.
Installed in traffic booths and behind hoardings, the panic buttons are hardly visible to commuters. At Hazratganj, one button was found behind a hoarding near a bank wall, partly covered by tree branches. At the 1090 intersection, a button was placed on a traffic booth, making it almost impossible to locate.
A traffic constable at the 1090 booth said the device often becomes dysfunctional and requires repair almost every week. He added that the buttons should be near pedestrian ramps for visibility.
Even officers deployed at Pink Booths and intersections admitted they were unaware of the location of the buttons. At Polytechnic, the earlier device was removed from a police outpost and never reinstalled. At Indira Gandhi Pratishthan (IGP), the button faced a similar issue of poor placement, known only to police staff.
Priyanka Sharma, a commuter, said the hidden devices raise concerns about women’s safety, especially during late hours. Another commuter, Priya Bhasin, who works at a corporate firm, said she has never noticed any such buttons at the IGP crossing despite being a regular traveller.
General manager of Lucknow Smart City, AK Singh, acknowledged the shortcomings. He said the buttons at 10 major intersections would be relocated. “We have asked experts to visit and finalise the locations. Once pressed, the button directly connects to the ITMS call centre,” he said.
