Sambalpur, Oct. 12: Travelling in city buses will be safer as authorities have decided to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the vehicles.
Chief executive officer of Western Odisha Urban Transport Service Limited, which is the apex body for management of the city bus service, Bimalendu Rai said: "The tender for installation of the CCTV cameras will be floated shortly."
Paschim Odisha Paribahan Company, the private operator that runs the bus service, had already install-ed CCTV cameras in 10 buses on its own. One camera is installed in each bus. However, the cameras will be removed from those buses and high-quality CCTV cameras will be installed in all the 32 city buses with the implementation of the proposal.
The proposal has also received wide appreciation from commuters.
"A large number of people prefer to travel in the city buses. The people, who depend on the city buses to reach to their destinations, will be benefited after implementation of the proposal. They will feel secured while commuting. The women will also feel safe while travelling after the surveillance cameras are installed. This will prevent eve teasing and other criminal activities in the buses. The concerned authorities should expedite the process and install the cameras as soon as possible," said commuter Rinku Pradhan.
Nearly 7,500 commuters travel by city buses in and around the city every day. "Apart from providing safety to the commuters, this will also provide safety to their goods and luggage. This is a praiseworthy proposal," said another commuter, Kailash Dash.