Varanasi Dial 112 Reports 5:22 Response Time and 94% Caller Satisfaction

VARANASI: UP-112 response teams in Varanasi are recording an average arrival time of five minutes and twenty-two seconds, with caller satisfaction reported at 94 per cent, officials said during a performance review at the Traffic Police Lines. Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal praised personnel for the figures but instructed every police response vehicle team to keep its response within nine minutes. The numbers were presented as part of an internal review of emergency service delivery.

The commissioner told staff that a police response vehicle should be treated not simply as a patrol car but as an immediate public-help unit. Speed matters, particularly in medical emergencies, violence, road crashes and situations in which a caller feels unsafe. He paired that expectation with an emphasis on sensitive behaviour and effective assistance after a team reaches the location. A quick arrival that leaves a caller confused or unheard would not meet the service's stated goal.

The review also set an accountability threshold. Delays beyond ten minutes are to be examined, followed where required by counselling, performance review or departmental action. Shivpur PRV-6974 received a certificate for strong caller satisfaction, while Sigra PRV-0598 was recognised for response time. DCP Gomti Zone and UP-112 in-charge Neetu Kadyan attended with response personnel, according to the report.

Average figures should be read with some caution. Travel time varies sharply between the dense lanes of the old city, outer villages, highways and neighbourhoods cut off by waterlogging or crowds. The published account did not provide the number of calls included, the period measured or a zone-by-zone breakdown. Those details would help residents understand whether the five-minute figure is consistent across Varanasi or pulled down by faster responses in easier locations.

For a caller, the useful practice remains straightforward: give a precise location, a reachable phone number and the nature of the danger, then follow the operator's safety instructions. The latest review suggests the commissionerate is tracking both speed and caller experience. Continued publication of comparable monthly data—including delayed calls and rural performance—would make that achievement easier to assess and allow residents to see where emergency coverage still needs work.

The satisfaction percentage is based on callers who could be contacted and chose to respond, a limitation common to service surveys. Publishing the response rate would make the number more meaningful. The review can also examine what happens after arrival: whether a complainant received a case number, medical help, a referral or a follow-up call. Emergency performance is a chain, and the travel time of the vehicle is only its first visible link.