Government approves installation of CCTVs in buses

New Delhi: The Delhi Government on Tuesday approved installation of CCTV cameras in 6,350 DTC and cluster buses from Nirbhaya Fund at an estimated expenditure of `140 crore.

The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

“The cabinet approved the Transport Department’s proposal to authorise the DTC to call tenders and sign the agreement for installation of CCTV cameras in 6,350 DTC and cluster buses, utilising the Nirbhaya Fund, to be provided by the Central government,” an official statement said.

Nirbhaya Fund is a central government fund which is aimed to be spent in the schemes meant for women’s safety across the country. In its 2015 Assembly election campaign, the Aam Admi Party had promised to install CCTV cameras in DTC buses after coming to power.

Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said that it was an important decision towards safe and secure environment for the public especially women in Delhi. “This measure will impart a feeling of security to women using public transport,” he said.

The DTC has already installed CCTV cameras in 200 buses of its fleet. Presently, it runs around 3800 buses. Besides, there are also about 1,200 cluster buses operated by the Delhi Integrated Multi Modal System (DIMTS), which will also be fitted with the CCTV cameras to ensure women safety.

Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has recommended detailed specifications for CCTV cameras under the project “National Level Vehicle Security and Tracking System.”