CCTV cameras in 284 buses

GURGAON: In an effort to make commuting by public transport safe, the department is working to install CCTV cameras inside city buses. Officials said cameras have already been fitted in four buses on trial, and the final contract will be awarded soon.
"Four private firms had qualified for the technical bid. They were allowed to fit a camera each into four buses to test efficiency.We have submitted the footages to our Chandigarh head office. After they are analyzed, the contract will be awarded to the company whose camera has the best resolution and offers the lowest rate," said a senior Gurgaon transport department official.
The plan is to install cameras in all 284 buses in the Gurgaon depot. "We will install CCTV cameras in all 153 city buses and 131 state transport buses in the depot. We will keep the footage for at least one month, and it will be monitored from the computer cell in the depot," he said.
The police, too, have welcomed the move. "This initiative will help us a lot in terms of safety, especially that of women commuters. Haryana roadways authorities will monitor the footage, but we will ask for it as and when we need to investigate a matter," said Navdeep Singh Virk, police commissioner, Gurgaon.
Meanwhile, Delhi government on Friday announced Rs 160 crore for installing CCTV cameras and deploying marshals in all Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses to ensure security of commuters especially women. More than 200 DTC buses ply on Gurgaon routes everyday.