Bengaluru police partners with MyGate to issue e-passes to delivery personnel

The Karnataka state police (KSP) has partnered with home security management startup MyGate to issue e-passes for delivery executives of ecommerce companies in Bengaluru during the Covid-19 lockdown.

“The Karnataka state police (KSP) has partnered with MyGate to facilitate an e-pass system for organisations, including government (ones), to enable their employees to move out of their homes and go to work during the Covid-19 lockdown,” a note on the Bengaluru headquartered company’s website said.

The e-passes are issued through an Android application named Karnataka State Police Clear Pass, developed by MyGate. The e-passes are currently available only in Bengaluru. Each pass is linked to the recipient’s mobile number and will mention a pre-approved time validity.

To obtain the pass, companies must fill a form, with details such as company PAN and information of employees requiring the passes. The forms are sent to the local police stations, which will vet the details and get approval of the KSP officials. Users can access their e-passes on the app and must also carry a government-approved identity card during travel, the company said.

Companies can also make bulk requests on the app for multiple employee e-passes, it said.

“The employee count for critical services can be defined by the organisation representative during registration. However, the approving authorities can decide a lower cap and grant e-passes at their discretion. In such cases, the organisation will need to get in touch with the authorities and request for reconsideration,” the note said.

Several state governments and city administrations have been working on issuing e-passes, as precautionary actions from the police and local authorities have forced many businesses to close operations. In an obvious act of overreach, there have been reports of police personnel blocking trucks carrying essential items, shutting down warehouses and stopping delivery executives from doing their jobs.

Last week, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) to ensure seamless supply of essential goods to people during the 21-day Covid-19 lockdown. The SOP, which applies to ecommerce stores delivering essential goods, grocery stores and those under the public distribution system, said that delivery and other personnel who are part of supply chain operations must carry e-passes issued by the local authorities, apart from a photo identity card.

MyGate, run by Vivish Technologies, uses artificial intelligence to automate manual security tasks of gated societies, such as visitor identification, home deliveries, vehicle management and child safety. 

In its last funding round, the company raised $56 million from Chinese internet conglomerate Tencent Holdings, and US-based hedge funds Tiger Global Management and JS Capital Management.

Last week, the Punjab police collaborated with Gurugram-based artificial intelligence startup Staqu Technologies to ease the application and approval process of curfew passes.