Use of private security mobile applications on the rise
After the recent Uber rape case in the Capital, more women have started using mobile applications meant for their safety. These applications keep a constant tab on the location of the user and send an alert in case of an emergency.
A number of private organisations have also started providing free subscription of some of these applications to their female employees.
One such application is One Touch Emergency Response (OTER) system. Currently available in the National Capital Region (NCR), the emergency response service was launched recently.
OTER is a paid service with a monthly subscription of Rs.250. A user will just have to tap the application and a call will be received at the emergency command and control centre. People at the centre will call back immediately and provide on-call guidance to the person in distress. The GPS of the phone will facilitate the exact location of the person and trained responders will be sent to help the user within 15-20 minutes.
While the Delhi Police have not raised any objection to the service, they maintain that such services can only provide social security. But when it comes to taking legal action, the police will have to be involved.
Another paid service, Safe Call, also tracks the location of a user. In case a woman boards a taxi from an unknown location, she can call the control centre and give them details about the taxi and the location. Then, a person from the call centre will call the user at regular intervals till the end of their journey.
Another safety service called SafetiPin, which is a free application, comes handy when a person is travelling to a new location and wishes to know about its safety levels. The application provides the view of the area along with its safety score, comments as well as pictures. With the help of this application necessary precautions can be taken.
Nirbhaya is also a mobile application used by many women. It can be used in emergency situations using a single click distress signal through call or message to a specified group or contact. The application can be configured to send emergency message on shaking the phone. Moreover, it will send alerts about the location of the user to the chosen contacts with accurate updates after every 300 metres.
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