Delhi Transport Corporation installs CCTV cameras in its 80 buses

New Delhi: Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has installed close circuit television cameras in 80 of its buses, a pilot project aimed at enhancing security in buses, particularly for women.

In the first phase, DTC plans to install CCTV cameras in 200 buses, including low-floor AC and low-floor non-AC buses in the national capital.

"We have successfully installed CCTV cameras in 80 DTC buses of the Rajghat Depot. By this Friday, we will complete the target of installing CCTV in 100 buses of this depot," DTC spokesperson RS Minhas said.

This is the first time in the history of DTC that CCTV cameras have been installed in its buses, which would prove useful for women passengers travelling in corporation buses, especially at late night.

Minhas said that under this project, they have selected buses of two depots - Rajghat and Sarojini Nagar, adding that 200 buses of these two depots will have CCTV cameras in first phase.

"A Control Room has also been set up at Rajghat Depot where our experts will monitor the footages of the CCTV cameras on daily routine. The cameras have a capacity of recording for seven hours. Besides, we will also store the footage of 15 hours in computers kept in Control Room," he added.

The DTC official said that they recently got to see good results of CCTV when some students of a well-known private school used to deliberately force bus drivers to stop vehicle at unauthorised places.

"Some senior students of a private school had been disturbing the driver of DTC bus, which used to ferry school children, by forcing him to stop at unauthorised places to buy soft drinks and other items.

When the driver narrated the incident before depot manager, he sent a bus having CCTV on school duty. When students did it again, CCTV cameras recorded their activities. Later, DTC handed over this footage to school authorities", he added.

The DTC official said that after installing CCTV cameras in 100 buses of Rajghat Depot, they will then start installing them in 100 buses of Sarojini Nagar depot.

After the December 16 gang rape case, it was decided to keep a tab on public buses. Also for the safety of women, DTC had also started providing two home guards in buses operating on night services.