Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) has installed panic buttons in over 4,000 buses to enhance passenger safety. Each bus is equipped with 12 buttons placed at every alternate seat, designed to send an alert with the bus’s location to the depot’s chief manager and RSRTC’s control centre if pressed for three seconds.
RSRTC has launched an awareness drive to educate commuters on the correct use. However, officials report that over 90% of the alerts so far have been false alarms, triggered unintentionally by passengers.
Awareness posters, stickers, and helpline numbers will be placed inside buses, explaining when and how to use the panic buttons. Alerts go to RSRTC’s control room, which will then notify the police.
Other states with similar facilities are Delhi, West Bengal, UP, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha, and Bihar.
