The app will be tested on the crowded JR Saikyo Line between
"We have implemented a number of countermeasures (against molestation) such as installing more security cameras, but unfortunately they have not led to a decrease in the crime," said JR East President
The app, which can also sound an alarm, will be available on Apple iPhones. To discourage false reporting, users will be required to register their personal information with the company.
The service will utilize footage from onboard security cameras alongside a smartphone's global positioning system to exactly identify the carriage in which groping is taking place.
If the app is used, the conductor will receive a notification on a tablet computer and make an announcement stating that a passenger has reported groping in a particular carriage, in order to deter the perpetrator.
The railway company, which describes molestation as "a social challenge," is planning to conduct passenger surveys before making the app officially available.
It will also study how to ensure effective communication between train conductors and station staff in reporting such cases to the police.
A 2010 survey conducted by the
==Kyodo
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