How CCTV Can Keep Both Drivers and Passengers Safe

With the rise in terrorism and the fact that they are now beginning to use public transportation to carry out their plans, there seems to be more of a demand for better security measures in this arena. There have been more and more instances of public transportation terrorism and more and more outcry for better safety measures. You may never forget the Algerian extremists who set off bombs on subways in Paris in the 1990s, the IRA bombing trains in England, Palestinians with suicide bombs on Israeli buses, or the nerve gas that was set off in Japan in 1995 in the subway system and even in the United States. There were plans in 1993 and 1997 to bomb New York City tunnels and bridges and domestic terrorists derailed an Arizona train in 1995. Of course, the most recent example was in London with the bombings in July of 2005 on the double-decker buses and the Underground. Because of the relatively poor security measures up to this point on public transportation, it has been easy for terrorists to take advantage of this weak spot and use it to their benefit. This, of course, has led to looking for better security measures, including the use of CCTV technology.

The passengers and the driver both need to feel safe in this environment. For example, a CCTV system can help the driver feel safer because if they are able to monitor what is going on behind them while they are driving and perhaps stop, if possible. With some of the newer CCTV systems, a monitor can be set up that the driver can see while they are driving. This can help them see if someone tries to sneak up on them and disable them and try to take over the bus. This is a basic measure of safety, but there are other levels as well. The use of digital and wireless CCTV systems can make it easier for local police to monitor the public transportation from remote locations or from the police station. This can save manpower from having to be stationed on every bus and train, this can also save money as well. Being able to monitor what is going on from one location also streamlines the process of keeping an eye on things. This can make it more accurate and faster to dispatch a policeman if the situation were to arise if it were needed.

CCTV systems are better for public transportation than the more traditional means of security. This is because this type of transportation needs to be better and more easily accessible because of the high volume of passengers each day. But the high volume also can be a weakness, checkpoints are not the best thing for this type of situation, but people can easily sneak on bombs and the like because of this. With CCTV systems, not only installed on the bus or train but at entry points they can be monitored more closely for any unusual behavior or bags being left where they shouldn’t be. This, in turn, can better prevent those who would bring bombs on the bus from doing so in the first place and save many lives.

Of course, besides the obvious safety from terrorism that can be gained from CCTV on public transportation, there is also the help it can give when it comes to pick pocketing and crimes against other passengers such as assault. These cameras can act as deterrents first and foremost to those who may be thinking of committing any of these crimes. Also, it can make it easier to identify someone after the fact, if it were to come to that. These systems can be invaluable to both passenger and driver.

As you can see, installing CCTV systems on buses and trains and other public transportation systems can help immensely in catching or even deterring many crimes that can occur in these realms. CCTV systems can help strengthen security in the way that a lot of people are looking for, especially considering that public transportation is weak and vulnerable in ways that other types of transportation is not. CCTV cameras are not only cheaper than other types of security but they make both the passengers and the driver feel more secure then if they didn’t have this level of security.