Soon, panic buttons and CCTVs in DTC buses
DECISION Delhi cabinet clears proposal; 6,350 buses to be covered
NEW DELHI: Panic buttons and CCTV cameras in buses are soon going to be a reality in the Capital.
The Delhi Cabinet, in its meeting chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday, approved installation of CTTV cameras in 6,350 city buses run by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and those under the Cluster scheme.
However, at present, there are only 5,725 buses being run by the government, and the officials claimed that 536 more buses which are in the pipeline will also be fitted with the safety devices.
The project has been pegged at Rs 140 crore which will be provided from the ‘Nirbhaya Fund’. Officials said the government has already received in-principle approval for its share from the fund from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Each bus will have three CCTV cameras and a screen inside for live telecast that would be captured from the cameras. Recorded data of every bus will be maintained for 15 days. Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot told HT that the decision will help “to ensure a safe and secure environment for people in transit, especially women”.
Apart from the CCTV cameras, each bus would also have two panic buttons. One would be near the driver’s seat and another close to the passengers’ seats. “Each bus will have panic buttons. The moment it is pressed, live streaming will start in the control room. The control room will be built in the transport department which will activate a team for providing immediate help and also alert the police,” Gahlot said.
The cabinet also decided that the transport department will execute the project through Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (DTIDCL). “The tenders would be floated by DTIDCL for the installation in all the buses under DTC and DIMTS,” an official said.
The issue of women safety has been a major concern in Delhi, especially after the horrific December 16 gang rape case. In his first budget speech as finance minister for the financial year 2015-16, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had proposed installation of CCTV cameras in all buses in the city.
This was followed by the Delhi government’s direction to the DTC for installation of CCTV cameras in 200 buses on a pilot basis. These were installed in buses of Sarojini Nagar and Rajghat bus depots.