Govt to hire 200 guards, deploy them in buses

To ensure the safety of women using public transport, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has decided to hire 200 private security guards and deploy them as marshals in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC)-run buses.

The DTC will float tenders in the next few days to choose a security agency and within one month 200 private security guards will be deployed as marshals in the first phase.

“At present, around 2,000 homeguards patrol DTC buses, but it is not sufficient. So, it was decided to hire 200 private security guards, who would be deployed as marshals in buses on a pilot basis,” said a senior government official.

The official added that if the results were good, the government would hire more private security guards in the second phase. “These security guards will be hired on a contractual basis and they will ensure the safety of women in buses. The security guards will also undergo a training, so that they can prevent and deal with crime against women in vehicles,” the official said.

DTC spokesperson Dr RS Minhas said private security guards would ensure safety in the DTC buses. Another official said the government was mulling to equip the security guards with walkie-talkies.

In its pre-poll assurance, the AAP had promised to deploy marshals in buses to ensure safety of women in the national Capital.