In Noida, women can dial police helpline 112 for a safe trip home

The Noida police have formed a new team to escort women commuters home if they face any trouble or feel unsafe while travelling at night. Six Police Response Vehicles,

The Noida police have formed a new team to escort women commuters home if they face any trouble or feel unsafe while travelling at night. Six Police Response Vehicles, with four police personnel (including two women), have been deployed under the initiative.

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Police officers said women commuters travelling at night can dial 112 and a police team will reach them soon. The PRV will not pick or drop the women themselves, but will help them get transportation and will then escort them home if needed.

Rajesh S, deputy commissioner of police, Noida (traffic) and nodal officer, 112 helpline, Gautam Budh Nagar, said, “The move aims to help women commuters feel safe and reach their destination safely. We have found that sometimes women book cabs/taxis at night, and while travelling they find the driver’s movements suspicious. There are times when they do not find cabs at night. In these circumstances, they can dial 112 and a police team will swiftly reach them,” he said.

The DCP said that if a woman commuter books a cab and feels unsafe during the ride, the PRV will reach the spot and escort the commuter to her destination. “If there is no cab available, the police team will call the commuter’s family members or relatives or friends and make arrangements for her safe travel. The PRVs will not provide a pick-up and drop service to make sure the facility is not misused ,” he said.

In the initial phases, these PRVs will be available in the jurisdictions of six police stations – Sector 20, Sector 58, Noida Phase 2, Bisrakh, Surajpur and Sector Beta 2. However, they can be shifted from one place to another depending on the requirements.

The Uttar Pradesh Police had launched the initiative on December 9, 2019. “The initiative was launched in December last year. We completed the paperwork and also provided training to the women staff which took some time. We have now rolled out the programme which will continue systematically,” the DCP said.