IT corridor to be safe

Hyderabad: Exactly two months after a woman software engineer was gangraped, in Madhapur, the Cyberabad police announced the Five Pronged Integrated IT Corridor Safety and Security Plan on Wednesday.

As part of the new plan, the police has made registration of all autorickshaws and cabs moving in Cyberabad compulsory, and requires them to carry a QR coded sticker.

A helpline for women, increase in public transport services like buses and an inspector for the IT corridor are some of the salient features of the plan.

B. Prasada Rao, director-general of police, launched the Education Campaign on Women’s Safety and the Cyberabad IT Corridor Policing Initiative. Tennis star Sania Mirza was the guest of honour at the Ascendas V IT Park auditorium here.

After the Abhaya case, a review of women’s safety was done in a meeting attended by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, DGP, Cyberabad police, APSRTC, APIIC and SCSC. About 40 representatives of IT firms also took part since their employees have to travel at late hours and are vulnerable to attack.

Prasada Rao told the auditorium, which was packed with women, that they must learn self-defence. “Being aware of possible danger and being well equipped gives a sense of security. Carrying pepper spray will be helpful when travelling in cabs and autorickshaws.”

Sania Mirza advised women to “try to prevent any incident. I travel alone many times in various places, but I make sure there is one person along with me, may be a driver or someone else. Use pepper spray too.”

Cyberabad police commissioner C.V. Anand explained the security plan. He said it was necessary to increase public transport and keep a watch on private transport.

He said several hostels have come up on the city periphery. A study identified five main routes that cover the entire IT corridor.

The study revealed that about 40,000 passengers travel either by autorickshaws or cabs in the IT corridor, and 10,000 autorickshaws and cabs operate in the area.