LAHORE: The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has completed a major phase of the CM Punjab QR Panic Button System by installing this facility (panic buttons) in 35,900 vehicles across the province.
Most QR panic buttons were installed in the vehicles rendering public transport services including buses, taxis, Bykea and rickshaws to secure the passengers, particularly, the women.
In the ongoing phase, this facility was being installed in InDrive- and Yango-based vehicles besides in Speedo and Metro buses.
According to a report, all Metro, Speedo and electric buses operating in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Multan have been integrated into an advanced digital safety network, enabling passengers to instantly connect with the PSCA in case of any emergency during their journey.
Vehicles connected to Emergency 15; move boosts safety for women commuters
The scope was being extended to the rest of Punjab and the authorities believed that after completion of the entire phases, the mega scheme would help secure the passengers particularly women travelling alone or with their kids in every hook and corner of the province.
A senior official declared it a game changer project saying that the PSCA had developed a Safe QR Code-based panic button under the chief minister’s initiative following several incidents of harassment of families, including women, were reported.
Under the scheme, he said, with a single scan, passengers can instantly verify vehicle and driver details and connect with Emergency 15 through voice call, video call or live chat in any emergency.
Following the scheme, he said, nearly 500 alerts have been generated from the panic buttons, with most by the women, prompting the police to respond to the calls.
He said the system automatically shares the vehicle information and live location with the Safe Cities Control Room, enabling rapid police response and real-time monitoring.
The same facility is also available to the drivers and owners of the vehicles seeking emergency assistance, he said.
“Developed entirely through PSCA’s in-house capabilities and at virtually no additional cost to the government, this initiative transforms every public transport vehicle into a connected safety point, bringing emergency assistance just one scan away for millions of commuters across Punjab,” the official said.
He said globally, public transport safety initiatives generally offer only selected features such as panic buttons, GPS tracking, SOS alerts or vehicle verification.
The recent examples include emergency buttons linked with vehicle tracking systems in Bangalore, India, QR-based women’s safety initiatives in Chennai, QR-enabled driver verification systems in Lucknow, and SOS-enabled auto rickshaw safety programmes in Tirupati.
“The CM Punjab’s QR Panic Button brings these capabilities together into a single integrated public safety platform connected directly with Emergency-15 and the PSCA,” he says.
Through a single scan, citizens can verify vehicle details and the credentials of the drivers.
They can connect directly with 15, report incidents through voice/video calls and use live chat with Emergency 15.
It helps automatically share live location, transmit vehicle information and connect with the Safe Cities Control Room.
According to the official, scanning the QR Panic Button installed inside the bus allows passengers to instantly access verified information about the vehicle, driver and route.He said once an emergency alert is generated, the passenger’s live location, vehicle details and other critical information are transmitted instantly to the PSCA command and control centre.
This enables the nearest police units to be dispatched without delay, ensuring a swift, coordinated and effective emergency response.
Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2026
