Chief Minister M.K. Stalin flagging off the autorickshaws with QR code stickers in the presence of Minister K. Ponmudy and GCP Commissioner A. Arun on Friday.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

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The Greater Chennai Police (GCP) on Friday launched a quick-response (QR) code system for passengers in autorickshaws and taxis in the city to quickly reach out to the police in case of an emergency.

Launching the new programme at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday distributed QR Code stickers to autorickshaw drivers.

This technology-driven safety measure will ensure real-time monitoring, follow emergency response protocols, and integrate with the portals of various cab aggregator services.

About 89,641 autorickshaws, including vehicles from adjoining districts, ply in the Greater Chennai City limits. Over 78,000 of those autorickshaws are attached with aggregators such as Uber, Rapido, and Ola.

In Phase I, the GCP has developed 88,859 customised and dedicated unique QR codes for normal and share autorickshaws.

Explaining the new initiative, GCP Commissioner A. Arun said the QR code would be pasted and displayed behind the autorickshaws/cab driver’s seat. In case of emergencies, pressing the SOS button would send an alert to the control room in the Police Commissioners’ office, providing the exact location and details of the autorickshaws, along with the owner’s details. Additionally, passengers have the option to call the 112 emergency control room.

A key advantage of this system is that when an SOS alert is triggered, the passenger’s exact location is instantly sent to the control room, enabling prompt response from the police, particularly during late-night or solo rides, he said.

The Commissioner said the unions of autorickshaw drivers had agreed to cooperate with the police to ensure the initiative’s success. He also said action would be taken against the drivers who remove QR code stickers or ride without stickers.

The Additional Commissioner of Police, Traffic, R. Sudhakar, said the GCP has partnered with Rapido, Ola, and Uber to integrate their emergency alerts with the GCP control room.

Any SOS call made through these ride-hailing applications would also be directed to the control room, enabling authorities to track the ride in real-time. Traffic control room personnel could also monitor the vehicle in real-time during emergencies, and deploy patrol vehicles accordingly, he said.