Trichy police want cameras in private buses

Trichy: In an effort to curb growing instances of pickpocketing, chain snatching and other crimes on moving buses, Trichy police have asked private bus operators to install CCTV cameras on their vehicles to enhance surveillance. This, they feel, would promote collective responsibility, deter criminal activities, ensure passenger safety, and help maintain law and order. However, govt buses continue to operate without such systems.It was in September last year that a 69-year-old diamond trader from Madurai lost diamonds worth Rs15 lakh from his shirt pocket while travelling on a bus to Gandhi market after getting them tested. Following his complaint, police began an investigation without initially registering a formal case. With no cameras available to identify the theft, they had to pursue a more difficult approach, such as alerting various businesses about possible attempts to sell stolen diamonds without proper documentation. Three weeks later, police zeroed in on three people who had followed the man from Madurai to Trichy to steal his diamonds.Around 147 private buses and 278 TNSTC buses run on routes linking Trichy city with its suburbs. On May 20, a 61-year-old resident of Thanjavur was carrying Rs10,000 to pay his son's final-year mechanical engineering college fees in Trichy. He boarded a private bus at Palpannai bound for Chathiram bus stand. As the bus approached the bus stand, a group of people created a distraction, while one of them picked his pocket. The victim managed to catch hold of the man, but the main suspect and his accomplices escaped. Police learned about the suspects from the confession of the apprehended person, but identifying them was impossible without cameras.Hence, to strengthen investigations and establish better surveillance, the district police recently held a meeting with private bus operators. "We urged them to install cameras inside and outside the buses to monitor passengers and their activities while boarding, travelling, and alighting," said a senior police official. Among the 147 private buses, around 30 have already installed dome cameras inside and bullet cameras outside at various points. Private bus owners had no objections to installing cameras but sought time for it. "Due to cost constraints worsened by rising fuel prices, bus operators need some time to implement this," said D R Dharmaraj, secretary of Trichy District Bus Operators Association. Private bus owners agree that CCTV cameras will enhance safety of bus crew and passengers. On May 30, several bus crew members protested against repeated attacks on them by unruly passengers and members of the public. Meanwhile, TNSTC has not yet taken a decision to install CCTV cameras in its fleet, leaving those travelling on govt city buses vulnerable. TNSTC officials in Kumbakonam division and Trichy region said they cannot implement the system without a govt directive. "Such a move is a policy decision that must come from the transport department, along with necessary fund allocation," said a senior official.