Mumbai: Are transport interchanges safe?

This is the first attempt in India to use crowd-sourced info for the safety and security ratings of Urban Transit Transfer Points (UTTPs). Representation pic

How safe are our transport interchanges? In a first in India, the IIT Bombay on Friday said that it had taken up a project to use crowd-sourced info to give safety and security ratings for public transport interchanges. It also planned to build an app to suggest the best access route as per the security index and live crowd-sourced security info along the last-mile route.

"This is the first attempt in India to use such crowd-sourced info for the safety and security ratings of Urban Transit Transfer Points (UTTPs). It will support transit users in making well-informed decisions on safe and secure first and last-mile connections. The project, TUTEM (Technologies for Urban Transit to Enhance Mobility and Safe Accessibility), to enhance the last-mile security & safety of commuters will provide safe access en route to transit stations through mobile apps. It is an Asian Development Bank-funded project," a spokesperson said.

A pilot survey was conducted in Hyderabad and Kolkata to test the effectiveness of the questionnaire along with a videographic survey. Most of the respondents revealed that they used public transport more than five times a week for work/school trips and preferred either to travel alone or with friends or colleagues.

"The female respondents perceived the presence of police patrolling as utmost important. Male respondents considered police patrolling to be important but not as important as the female respondents. Most of the male and female respondents considered the presence of CCTV surveillance to be very important, though some male participants termed it as ‘less important'. A detailed survey would be conducted in the month of July," the spokesperson said.

Two mobile apps are being developed focusing on the safety and security of transit users. One of the apps is for urban transit users (Riders App) and the second one is for pre-verified operators (Driver App).

While the commuter app will enable travellers to find a safe pre-verified ride from/to interchange points, it will also help find a pre-verified co-passenger to travel with, tracking and speed dialling in emergencies. The Drivers' App will enable pairing of auto and taxi drivers with the requesting riders.