24 December,2024 09:38 AM IST | Mumbai | Sameer Surve
A BEST bus near Kurla railway station a few days after the mishap that claimed nine lives. File Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Only 67 of the 989 buses owned by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) have CCTV cameras, but the devices are functional in 42 of these vehicles. According to the administration, the cameras in the remaining 25 are inoperative due to "technical error". Even buses with cameras lack road-facing dashboard cameras amid calls from experts to make them mandatory. In total, apart from the 989 buses it owns, the BEST has 1,900 buses that are operated under the wet-lease system. All of these have CCTV cameras but the surveillance systems on 420 buses are not functioning.
The site of the December 9 accident in Kurla West. File Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Rajesh Pandya, a civic activist, said, "We have raised our voices against this issue in the past. Video recordings are useful for those investigating any incident or crime. Also, they are necessary for security reasons. When CCTV cameras are functional, commuters feel safe. When the buses in service were new, their CCTV were working fine but with time, they stopped functioning." While there are no existing regulations regarding the installation of dashboard cameras in India, they are legal and experts said they should be made mandatory.
Jitendra Gupta, a transport expert, said, "The installation of not only CCTV cameras but also dashcams must be made compulsory in India. In an accident where there were no mistakes on the part of the driver, dashcam recordings are crucial. Dashcams also need to be made mandatory as the security of commuters is important. At least CCTVs should be made mandatory in the city's transport system."
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"In the December 9 Kurla bus accident, there is no footage available from the driver's point of view. If there are any cases of molestation, video recordings can serve as proof against offenders, so it is necessary that all buses should have working cameras," said Rupesh Shelatkar, a commuter rights activist. Nine people died and dozens were injured on SG Barve Marg in Kurla West in the recent accident when a BEST bus on route number 332 between Kurla West and Agarkar Chowk in Andheri ran amok. A few months prior to this, a mobile phone snatcher stabbed a BEST bus conductor in Dharavi.
