JOIN US The taxi service in the City of Palace has become safer with the application of latest technology. City-based taxi service provider Yatra Genie has come up with a novel initiative to ensure safety of passengers.
Considering the safety of women and senior citizens, Genie has installed ‘panic button’ and GPS in its vehicles. If a passenger encounters a problem, one can send a message by just pressing the panic button. The button is placed in the middle of the vehicle, where passengers can easily access it, said Yatra Genie in-charge Somashekar.
When the button is pressed, it sends a message to the customer care centre and the authorities contact the passenger immediately. “If we fail to contact the passenger, emergency information will be sent to the jurisdictional police station, where the vehicle will be moving. Through GPS, the vehicle can be traced and thus the police can attend to the problem. At present, 15 vehicles run by Yatra Genie have been installed with the latest technology,” he added.
Smitha, a private company employee, who depends on cab to reach her office says, the initiative is good and it should be made mandatory in all taxis and cabs. Though I have not experienced any untoward incident, once, I was inconvenienced due to vehi-
cle breakdown late in the evening. Then, neither could I contact my office nor did I get an alternative to reach home. I had to spend a long time inside the cab by the road. So, this would be a boon for people like me,” she said.
Prakash Aralikoppa, a tourist, said, with the initiative, one can travel in taxis without fear.
“Especially, women and senior citizens can travel without any hesitation. In recent years, drivers misleading and misbehaving with passengers has become common in big cities. Systems like GPS and other security systems will definitely be a boon for passengers. The system must be made mandatory for autorickshaws also,” he added.