Gandhinagar, Aug 24 (IANS) Gujarat will add 500 new advanced Janrakshak vehicles to its emergency response network, taking the total number of such vehicles available across the state round the clock to 1,000, as the authorities seek to further reduce the time taken to reach people in distress.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi will flag off the additional vehicles from the New Secretariat on Tuesday, under the expansion of the ‘112 Janrakshak’ project.
The expansion comes amid the state’s growing population, urbanisation and geographical spread.
The Janrakshak system, launched under the 112 emergency response framework, has handled more than 11.04 lakh integrated emergency service requests and provided immediate assistance in more than 6.74 lakh police emergency incidents during its first 11 months of operation.
Officials said the average response time has fallen from 27 minutes to 10 minutes and 49 seconds following the use of a 150-seat emergency call centre, Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) technology and caller-location systems.
The state aims to reduce the response time further with the deployment of additional vehicles and upgraded technology.
A new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has also been introduced to ensure that police jurisdictional boundaries do not delay emergency assistance.
Under the revised system, the PCR vehicle available closest to the incident location will be dispatched, irrespective of such boundaries.
The Dial 112 platform brings together several emergency services, including police (100), ambulance (108), fire services (101), the women’s helpline (181), child helpline (1098), disaster helpline (1070) and traffic-related assistance.
Gujarat had also integrated traffic complaints into the 112 emergency response system from August 1, allowing citizens to use the unified number for such complaints.
The 112 panic button has additionally been integrated into the Ola, Uber, Rapido and Bharat Taxi apps, allowing users of these platforms to access the emergency response system.
The new Janrakshak PCR vehicles will be air-conditioned and fitted with safety grilles or protective structures for round-the-clock operations.
They will have Mobile Data Terminals for receiving real-time information and GPS-based vehicle tracking, along with emergency light bars and sirens, public-address systems, fire extinguishers, first-aid kits and search-light torches.
Personnel deployed in the vehicles will also be equipped with body-worn cameras, helmets, protective gear and dashboard cameras.
Each vehicle will have one ASI or head constable, two constables and one driver assigned to 24-hour duty.
The expansion builds on the statewide Dial 112 infrastructure inaugurated in 2025, when a fleet of 1,000 emergency-response vehicles was initially deployed along with a centralised 150-seat control centre and GPS-enabled vehicles.
–IANS
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