E-Paper
Bulandshahr ‘gang rape’: 10 ways to stay safe on Uttar Pradesh roads and highways
Early Thursday, four women were allegedly gang-raped and a man shot dead after they were waylaid by a gang of highway robbers on the Yamuna Expressway
Last year, the rape of a mother and her daughter off a national highway near Bulandshahr in western Uttar Pradesh sparked a storm of condemnation and political blame-game. The police chief was shuffled out, new emergency services announced and the crime went to become a major issue in the assembly elections.
But the alleged gang-rape of four women on a nearby stretch early on Thursday showed that little had changed on UP’s roads. The state that has the longest network of highways continues to report high rates of crimes – In 2014, 80% of the 84,000 cases of dacoity and thefts on highways were recorded from UP.
Here are 10 ways in which you can keep yourself safe, as suggested by the UP Police last year:
1. Don’t give lifts to strangers or people who look suspicious
2. Keep emergency supplies such as medicines, water and milk for kids with you
3. Be careful when you see obstructions such as trees or stones on the roads.
4. If something hits the windscreen, windows or bonnet, don’t stop the car
5. Don’t discuss your destination or travel plans at any roadside eatery or dhaba
6. Be cautious during night journeys and keep equipment like spare tyres.
7. If someone says your vehicle is leaking petrol or diesel, only stop at a police station or toll booth
8. If you feel someone is following you, promptly inform the police
9. If you are renting a cab, do it from a reliable source. Share the registration number of the cab, the driver’s contact number and other details with someone you know before beginning the journey
10. To relieve yourself, use a dhaba, hotel or toll plaza instead of a lonely spot.
