Last month I relocated to Pune and took to take a stroll along the amazing sidewalks to discover the city life. I was looking out for what was new, what has not changed same and guess what was has gone in the past 6 years while I was away in Delhi.
On the sidewalks on Baner road, I come across this emergency call box installed on a streetlight pole that also had SOS written on its side.
SOS is an international code signal of extreme distress originate in the Morse Code sequence that is not an abbreviation for anything, The actual code is a combination of dots and dashes like …—…
The SOS box was installed as part of the Pune Smart City initiative had simple and clear 2-step instructions:
- Press the button.
- Wait for operator assistance.
I noted that the SOS box also had a camera on the front side and perhaps one could stand in front of it for a remote operator to view the caller.
The SOS box had a button and when pushed would connect to the control room that is further connected to a patrolling vehicle in that area. The calling person can then inform the control room about the situation he/she is into and gets a solution.
This SOS box could be used in the case of an accident, traffic jam, tire puncture, no petrol, medical aid, etc.
The box is colored pink indicating it is geared towards the women folk although Pune along with Bangalore and Mumbai are considered to be the safest cities for women in India.
Nevertheless, walking on the streets of Pune helped me discover this interesting and useful SOS box that I have added to Google Maps in the category ‘Emergency Call Booth’.
Features like these are what make Google Maps the Go-To app for people across all walks of life. I am glad I could add my 2-cents worth of info to Google Maps.
Accessibility Features
I found that the SO Scall box was installed on a streetlight pole and the sidewalk itself was accessible so that a wheelchair-bound person too could access the box.
Here’s a snapshot:
Ramp Access.
A wheelchair-accessible Entrance.
A wheelchair-accessible Parking.
