Gujarat Flags Off 500 New Janrakshak Vehicles

GANDHINAGAR : Gujarat has strengthened its emergency response network with the addition of 500 new state-of-the-art ‘112-Janrakshak’ vehicles, taking the total fleet deployed across the state to 1,000.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi flagged off the vehicles from Nava Sachivalay in Gandhinagar on Tuesday, describing the initiative as a major step towards faster assistance to citizens in distress.

“Public safety remains our priority. The 112 emergency service is being strengthened so that police assistance reaches citizens faster and more effectively,” Minister of State for Home Kamlesh Patel said.

The Janrakshak system uses a 150-seat call centre, Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) technology and caller-location systems. These measures have helped bring Gujarat’s average police response time down to 10 minutes and 49 seconds.

With the deployment of the additional vehicles and upgraded technology, the state aims to reduce the response time to below eight minutes.

The 112 panic-button facility has also been integrated with Ola, Uber, Rapido and Bharat Taxi, expanding access to emergency assistance.

In just 11 months of the Janrakshak Project, integrated services were provided in more than 11.04 lakh emergency calls, while immediate assistance was delivered in over 6.74 lakh police emergency incidents.

Senior police and Home Department officials attended the flag-off ceremony.