Hyderabad Metro Unveils TUTEM App for Secure Public Commutes
HMRL, with ADB and BITS Pilani, launches TUTEM app to ensure safe pre- and post-metro travel for women commuters in Hyderabad.
image for illustrative purpose
Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited on Thursday unveiled TUTEM, or Technologies for Urban Transit to Enhance Mobility and Safe Accessibility, with assistance from the Asian Development Bank to support women travellers on public transit. The app covers trip segments before and after metro rail travel, including walking, buses, auto-rickshaws and two-wheeler rides.
HMRL Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy said the project involved BITS Pilani-Hyderabad, Hyderabad Police, IIT Kharagpur and IIT Bombay. The solution combines a driver module and a user module to share trip data with family or control centers and monitor journey progress.
Reddy said the user module allows travellers to trigger an alert to the Hyderabad Police control room and selected contacts at any point during the trip. The driver module enables real-time tracking of assigned trips and verification of driver credentials.
At a workshop held at the BITS Pilani-Hyderabad campus, Reddy outlined plans to integrate TUTEM with the metro ticketing system and city transport networks by mid-2025. He identified the initiative as part of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s public safety strategy.
BITS Pilani Vice-Chancellor V. Ram Gopal Rao noted the app’s geo-fencing feature to track late-night trips and prevent unmonitored detours. He said BITS experts aim to extend TUTEM deployment to other Indian cities following a pilot phase in Hyderabad.
ADB representative Josephine Aquino and IIT Bombay Professor Avijit Majhi joined campus director Soumyo Mukherjee and BITS Professor Prashanth Sahu at the rollout event. The app is slated for public release in May.
