'Abhayam' app for women on move

Visakhapatnam: In a step to provide security to those availing public transport services, 'Abhayam' IoT device, introduced earlier, is gaining popularity in Visakhapatnam.

Introduced in 2020 by the state government with the support of the Union government, the app aims at providing emergency help to women commuting in auto-rickshaws and cabs.

As a part of the mechanism, a device would be installed in the vehicle. Those in distress can press the panic button and seek support from the police who arrive at the spot in over 10 minutes.

When women notice that the auto-rickshaw driver is taking a diverted route or find his behaviour suspicious or rude or indecent, all they have to do is press the panic button (red colour) which comes along with the device.

As soon as the panic button is pressed, the fuel connection of the vehicle gets suspended with immediate effect and could not proceed beyond two-km. Meanwhile, an alert will be sent to the police control room who would in turn alert the cops near the incident spot. Following which, help would arrive in 10 minutes. The vehicle will not move further until the problem gets resolved.

It was the maiden Internet of Things-based women safety project launched by the state government. It aids in not only reaching out to women in distress but also building their confidence level while commuting alone.

In addition, if commuters want a secure travel, they can also download the Abhayam App on their mobile phones so that their live location could be tracked through GPS-enabled mechanism. Once the panic button was pressed, an alert would also be sent to the commuter's list of contacts registered in the app. Sharing details of the app, Deputy Transport Corporation GC Raja Ratnam, says, "The IoT device was initiated in Visakhapatnam as a part of a pilot project. So far, 14,000 auto-rickshaws are using the device. Soon, we are planning to install the device in other vehicles."

Going forward, the DTC adds that the government has set a target of equipping 1 lakh vehicles with Abhayam devices. As a part of the endeavour, the department is installing the devices in Guntur and Vijayawada districts as well.

With Visakhapatnam gearing up to become the executive capital of Andhra Pradesh, devices such as these would provide security not only to the people but also to the tourists arriving in the city.