Lahore to be first safe city of South Asia in 2018

LAHORE: The provincial capital will become the first safe city of not only Pakistan but also South Asia in 2018.

According to the Punjab Safe City Authority (PSCA), the Lahore Safe City Project was launched here in May 2016 which was designed to ensure security and protection of people whereas intelligent traffic management system, anti-terrorism monitoring network, integrated emergency response, modern communication system and other features were introduced under the project for first time in the history of the country.

Technically, this project is being used for face identification software, number-plate identification software, mobile command center, public gathering and other purposes, while number of administrative changes have been brought at police level through the project.

In this regard, police communication officers wererecruited under this project while the data collected by safecity authority was being used for research at universitylevel.

However, the provincial departments, including transport, environment, waste management, traffic engineering and railway police, were fully cooperating to make Lahore a safe city.

The international observers said that Pakistan CricketBoard (PCB) had convinced the international players to visithere due to safe city project.

International experts from Australia, England and Germany while accepting the importance of safe city authority said that Lahore would be changed into safe city from smart city to which the chief minister Punjab deserved full appreciation.

The police response time through modern technology was being improved to 15 minute, whereas the technology installed by the safe city would help policy makers and operational commanders in decision making at crucial situation.

Through expected reforms in Lahore security profile, notonly the cost of businesses would be reduced but also foreign investment would be encouraged due to security situation.

According to the Lahore safe city project, more than 7,000 cameras have been installed all over Lahore to look after security of citizens, while the work was in progress to install remaining cameras.

The project cost was about Rs 13.5 billion.

The Lahore safe city project was four times larger than the already operational Islamabad safe city project.

The government now aimed to bring the safe city project to other cities of Punjab, including Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Multan, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad.

The cameras have also been installed at vehicles that would be supporting the command and control centre in surveillance of the city against any acts of organized crime, terror, and sabotage.

The safe city authority has introduced an android application for digital challaning ''automatic number-plate recognition'' through which the traffic wardens were able toissue tickets through android cell-phones.

The information of excise department data of vehicles, ownership, national identity card number, licence number and other would be included in this application.

Another android application, called the Women Safety Smartphone Application, for the protection of women have also been introduced by the Punjab Safe City Authority (PSCA).

The application can be installed on android cell phones through which help and assistance will be provided to women bythe Dolphin Police.

The features of the application also include planning for a safe journey, emergency button and the awareness among the masses about violence against women.

Women can also call 15 - police helpline - to register complaints in case of any danger or threat.