New Delhi, Oct 26 (UNI) With the number of crimes against women and children increasing day-by-day, a mobile application is silently working towards a better tomorrow, by rating streets on the safety parameters.
According to Bollywood Director-Producer Madhureeta Anand, who created this app said that 'Phree" app is the need of the hour.
Ms Anand further said, 'The existing apps concentrate on alerting, which means that if you are in danger, you will press a button and someone will come and save you. Though it's a very good initiative, the SOS buttons are not the ultimate solution."
'Mostly, the SOS button is pressed in case of emergencies, when the incident has either already happened, or is about to happen. This is where the Phree app comes handy. You would know in advance if a particular place is safe or not. It is the only pre-emptive solution in the world right now, on which, people mark establishments, streets and areas on their safety level,' she said, adding, 'Shifting the onus of safety on to the society and not on the victims of an unsafe environment, will help everyone, from the general public to the law enforcement agencies."
Phree is as much a movement for safety, as it is an app. It will make safety an issue that has to be dealt with more actively, the renowned Bollywood Director remarked.
She said, 'You can plan your trip accordingly, by either taking the safest route or alerting someone about your location, so they can track you easily."
'The safety of women and children is paramount for me. I follow Mahatma Gandhi, who once said, 'Be the catalyst for the change you want to see'. Both my films and the app have the same genesis. They are positive and creative mediums, which can reach many people and have the potential of making a difference,' she added.
Speaking about the security of women, she said, 'They should speak out, call out every single instance when they have been made to feel unsafe. This has to happen at epic proportions. Apart from this, women should support other women to make the world safer."
'People who are making the world unsafe for women and children, have to be tackled. There's a growing need for such people to change their attitude," she added.
Talking about Phree app posing stiff competition to Google Maps, the renowned Producer said, 'Not at all. It will greatly enrich Google Maps.'
Ever since it's launch on August 10, 2020, the application has seen exponential growth, with the number of those using it increasing every day.
People from all walks of life are using it, including men, women, travellers and young adults, said Ms Anand, adding that a sizeable number of the total users were transgenders.
Talking about unusual reviews and ratings, she said, 'In one case, a street was marked unsafe because there were bulls on it that were attacking people who walked by! However mostly factors like 'bad element' and 'previous incidents of attacks' largely shape the reasons for safety within the country.'
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