Parliament panel flags unused bus panic buttons as centres missing

A parliamentary committee has noted that emergency alert buttons in buses, costing Rs 15-20 each, remain largely unused because no dedicated response centres exist to handle the alerts. Bus operators told the panel that they must still pay Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000 per vehicle for mandatory tests of the switches during fitness checks.

The Times of India reports that the parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture, chaired by Sanjay Jha, examined the issue. The road transport ministry told the panel that in some states the system is linked to emergency number 112, but frequent false alarms led other states to disengage the buttons. The ministry wants the system restored, while many operators feel it should be scrapped.

A committee member questioned the fairness of charging for ineffective equipment and asked why CCTV could not be used instead. The ministry said cameras are being made mandatory in new buses. The panel recommended extending the programme for emergency buttons, call facilities, and vehicle location tracking to states beyond the 16 that have already implemented it.