Bengaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): To enhance last-mile connectivity to Bengaluru’s Namma Metro stations, a fleet of women operated electric auto rickshaws were introduced at Indiranagar and Yelachenahalli metro stations on Wednesday.
The Low Emission Access to Public transport (LEAP), an initiative of Alstom, a multinational company that offers solutions for a low carbon future, is done in collaboration with WRI India, a research organisation that aims to influence government policies and civil society actions. The other collaborators are Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) and Metroride, an app dedicated to first and last mile connectivity.
“As part of the pilot phase of the programme, we will have electric autos deployed as a last-mile service at Yelachenahalli and Indiranagar stations, serving commuters in a radius of 4 km from each station,” Olivier Loison, managing director of Alstom India, told PTI.
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The pilot initiative was launched by former MP Rajeev Gowda, vice chairman of State Institute for the Transformation of Karnataka and member of Brand Bengaluru Committee. Kalpana Kataria, executive director of BMRCL was also present.
Loison said Indiranagar was chosen as a pilot project because it’s a commercial hub close to the city centre and therefore, witnesses heavy traffic movement. “Although a residential area primarily, Yelachenahalli too is rapidly transforming into a major IT hub,” he said.
According to him, sustainable transport options in these two stations can significantly benefit metro commuters by bridging last mile connectivity issues.
The reason why women drivers were specifically brought under the programme is to ensure gender inclusivity, said Loison.
“Women will feel safer with women drivers of the e-autos,” he added.
As for Saraswati, a 40-year-old widow, who took to driving an auto after the death of her husband three years ago, being engaged by Metroride has been a life saver. While she said she did not have to invest upfront in buying an autorickshaw, another advantage is that she gets to choose her working hours.
“I have opted for morning shifts, I finish by 4pm so that I can go home before my daughters return from college. I am paid Rs 800 every day, even if I don't manage to get many rides,” said Saraswati, who has opted to drive an auto at the Yelachenahalli metro station, close to her home.
Learning from this project will serve as a blueprint for scaling similar solutions, said Loison. “It’s a collective challenge. We and our partners are working for the convenience of the people of Bengaluru,” he added.
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Two arrested in K'taka for assaulting minors, uploading CSAM content
Bengaluru (PTI): Two men were arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls, recording the acts on mobile phones and uploading the videos online as child sexual abuse material, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Kiran Kumar (29), hailing from Chitradurga district, and Aditya M K (20), hailing from Shivamogga district, they said.
A probe was initiated after information was received from the NCRP portal regarding a suspected instance of creation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) for online dissemination, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered at Kaggalipura Police Station under relevant sections of the IT Act on May 10, they added.
Investigation revealed that two minor girl victims were exploited and videos were created and uploaded to the internet. The child victims have subsequently recorded their statements as per procedure and further necessary legal steps have been taken, Pronab Mohanty Director General of Police, Cyber Command, said in a statement.
Based on the statements of the victims, the accused persons, who allegedly assaulted the minors, recorded the acts on mobile phones and uploaded the videos online, were arrested, he said.
Following the probe, sections 65(2) (rape) and 70 (gangrape) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant sections of the POCSO Act, have been added to the FIR, police said.
Officials collected relevant information and on May 12, arrested the accused persons and seized three mobile phones belonging to them, in which the videos had allegedly been recorded, he said.
The accused were later produced before the court and taken into police custody for further investigation, he added.
According to him, in CSAM cases, police usually apprehend offenders who have downloaded such content or have kept them in their possession after obtaining them from elsewhere, usually the internet.
"The present case is one of the very few instances where content creators and uploaders have been apprehended," Mohanty added.
