Thane commute to get safer for women, buses to get CCTV cameras and panic buttons soon

The Thane corporation also plans to fit ‘sugar boxes’ in all its buses to provide commuters with limited Wi-Fi

The Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) is set to make travelling safer for women. In its 2018-19 budget, the body focussed on the installation of CCTV cameras and panic buttons in buses, as well as the introduction of women’s special buses.

The transport body plans to start 50 women’s special Tejaswini buses by the end of March. (HT File)

“Under the Centre’s Nirbhaya scheme, every TMT bus will have a panic button installed in the front. When the button is pressed during an emergency, the civic body’s command and control room will immediately get an alert. Two or three-member special squads will wait at every bus stop and board the vehicle in case their help is needed,” said Sandeep Malvi, TMT manager.

The corporation currently has a fleet of 385 buses, which will soon increase to 495. CCTV cameras have been installed in 220 new buses. The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) will also install CCTV cameras in 165 old buses.

“We plan to start 50 women’s special Tejaswini buses by the end of March, for which the government has allotted Rs6 crore. We plan to hire women bus drivers and conductors to operate these buses,” Malvi added. These buses will have 27 to 30 seats.

The corporation also plans to fit ‘sugar boxes’ in all its buses to provide commuters with limited Wi-Fi. “These boxes come with pre-downloaded songs and movies, which commuters can access only whilst inside the bus. Such boxes have been fitted in state transport buses,” he said.