State-run buses will, in a phased manner, become equipped with CCTV cameras relaying feeds to a centralised control room in a step aimed at making such vehicles safer for commuters, especially women commuters, later this year
Funding for the project will be through the Nirbhaya corpus.
A consultant has been appointed to oversee installation of three CCTV cameras aboard each of the 6,350 public buses plying in the Capital at an estimated cost of ₹140 crore, a source privy to developments in this regard said.
“Consulting firm Ernst & Young has been appointed as consultant for the project and has begun work related to specifications, tender documentation and phasing [of installation],” the source added.
“The firm will submit its report on the proposal by mid-June, after which the process of installation of CCTV cameras aboard both Delhi Transport Corporation [DTC] low-floor and cluster buses will begin,” the source said.
Transport Secretary-cum-Commissioner Varsha Joshi confirmed the development when asked for a comment.
The proposal entails installation of CCTV cameras aboard each bus making real-time surveillance of 6,350 such vehicles possible from a central location, a senior government official said, adding that it will be from the Transport Department’s centralised control room at its north Delhi headquarters at the push of the panic button.
Six months after the Delhi Cabinet approved it and five years after the gruesome incident it is named after happened, the Delhi government had last December sought financial assistance from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) through the Nirbhaya Fund for the purpose.
Several similar attempts were made by the Delhi government over the years, with the latest among these in June last year, prior to which the DTC had sought funds for the same purpose in 2014, said a government source.
Highest standards
“The project envisages implementation of video-based surveillance system in accordance with the highest standards available for monitoring the activities of commuters using the DTC and cluster buses, and also crew members,” added the official.
The objective of the project, the official said, is to ensure the safety and security of passengers, particularly women, through IP-based CCTV cameras. As per the plan, three cameras are to be installed on each bus along with a screen to telecast the output from each of these cameras aboard the vehicle.
“The idea is to be able to assess past and future recording of any incident in the bus remotely through a central control room or as and when the authorities intend to view the live video,” the official said.
Published - March 26, 2018 01:25 am IST
