Bhubaneswar: Keeping the safety of passengers, especially women, in view, the Odisha government has ordered installation of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in all private and government buses plying in the State.
As many as 400 buses operating under State Transport department will have CCTV cameras installed in them by July 31 while the private buses have been asked to install the same in the next three months, Transport Minister Ramesh Majhi said. Vehicle Tracking and Passenger Information System will also be implemented for the safety of passengers, he added.
The minister also informed that Odisha State Regional Transport Corporation (OSRTC) will begin Volvo bus services soon. Thees luxury buses will run on the Cuttack-Berhampur, Keonjhar-Bhubaneswar, Jeypore-Rajmahendri and Bisakhapatnam-Jagdalpur routes on trial basis in the first phase.
Last year, the State government had decided to make installation of CCTV cameras and global positioning system (GPS) mandatory in all passenger buses.
Stating that the transport department had proposed to insert two sub-rules in the Odisha Motor Vehicle Rules, 1993, Majhi had said the initiative would ensure the safety of passengers, particularly women passengers.
"Every holder of stage carriage permit shall install a CCTV and GPS in the vehicle duly certified by the Regional Transport Officer and keep such CCTV and GPS in good condition," the draft rules state.
It further says that every holder of stage carriage permit shall intimate in advance the state transport authority and regional transport authority about the name and address of the driver, conductor and helper.
The police report, regarding the antecedents and character of the bus staff, would also be furnished before their engagement, said the draft rules.