Panic Buttons : Emergency Response System Must Serve Its Purpose

THE installation of a safety device that cannot summon help during an emergency is nothing but a farcical exercise in futility. A parliamentary panel has found that panic buttons in buses — introduced after the 2012 Nirbhaya horror in an effort to protect women passengers — have largely remained unused due to a lack of dedicated centres that can respond to alerts. These buttons cost just Rs 15-20 each, but bus operators are required to pay between Rs 2,500 and Rs 25,000 per vehicle to have the devices tested during mandatory fitness inspections. If the alert mechanism is not connected to a functional emergency response system, such expenditure becomes a financial burden that is difficult to justify.

The Union government insists that panic buttons, vehicle tracking and surveillance systems are integral to public transport safety. The House committee has rightly urged laggard states to implement the initiative. The SOS switch can reassure passengers only if it triggers an immediate and coordinated response from the transport authorities and the police. False alarms are a legitimate concern, but disengaging the system is hardly a solution. Better technology, regular maintenance, staff training and penalties for misuse can address that problem. CCTV cameras, now being mandated in new buses, can complement panic buttons, but they cannot replace a framework that allows a passenger to actively seek prompt assistance.

Women should not have to depend on the driver, conductor or fellow commuters when they are subjected to harassment or violence. Governments must measure success not by the number of devices fitted, but by response time, reliability and accountability. A defunct alert button only makes a mockery of the public safety policy.