Date:01/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/01/stories/2006090114770400.htm

New Delhi

Delhi police to procure vehicle tracking system

Devesh K. Pandey

To achieve maximum efficiency in attending distress calls

NEW DELHI: The Delhi police have initiated the procedure to procure the Global Positioning System-based automatic vehicle tracking system to connect about 400 Police Control Room (PCR) vans in the Capital with the Central Police Command Room as part of a technological upgrading plan.

This would help in achieving the maximum possible efficiency in attending to distress calls.

Through a tender floated recently, the police intend to procure all necessary gadgets required to link PCR vans to the Central Command Room-located GPS having the map projection screen facility.

The online digital city map for the purpose would be made available by National Informatics Centre through a dedicated lease line.

According to a senior police officer, each PCR van would be fitted with a GPS receiver, a Mobile Data Terminal and a General Pocket Radio Service (GPRS) or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) modem to facilitate wireless up-link for data transfer between a PCR van and the central command.

The technology would enable unabated data storage, starting from receipt of distress calls to filing of the report by the PCR operator, thus making the entire exercise paperless and requiring lesser manpower. In the new set-up, the call receiver would electronically pass on information about any distress call to the despatch wireless operator, whose job would be to locate the PCR van closest to the place of occurrence and then direct it to attend to the call.

Updated info

The screen reflecting the "real-time" position of a PCR van, even when it would be on the move, will also have updated information on the calls being attended to by each of the vehicles.

The system would have an in-built mechanism to record distress calls and also the interaction among the receiver, dispatcher and operator for any future reference.

The technical bids for the tender would open on September 20, which would be followed by demonstration of the system by various applicants in October.