JR East to test anti-groping app on rush-hour trains japantoday.com

East Japan Railway Co (JR East) will soon begin trials of an anti-groping smartphone app it has developed, enabling users to notify train conductors of instances of molestation so announcements can be made to warn passengers.
The app will be tested on the crowded JR Saikyo Line between Shinjuku Station in Tokyo and Omiya Station in Saitama Prefecture from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on weekdays beginning in late February, according to the railway operator, commonly known as JR East.
"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 Yuji Fukasawa.
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.