Passengers’ safety at risk as CCTVs lying non-functional

Tribune News Service
Bathinda, November 21

CCTV cameras installed at the city bus stand are lying defunct for weeks, putting the safety of passengers/visitors and buses at risk. Of the total 12 CCTV cameras installed at the bus stand, four are lying non-functional (one of them functions erratically). 

According to PRTC employees, the matter was brought to the notice of higher authorities, but they did not take any concrete action so far.

A senior PRTC employee requesting anonymity said four CCTVs installed at prime locations in the bus stand had been lying non-functional for more than two weeks. The authorities repaired all the non-functional CCTV cameras a few months ago, but after a few days, the situation was to square one and a few CCTVs went non-functional again.

Earlier, there were five to six theft cases happened at the bus stand on a fortnightly basis. Considering the increase in theft incidents, the authorities installed 24 CCTV cameras (12 on the bus stand premises and 12 at the PRTC workshop). 

Sources said a number of theft incidents had been reported on the bus stand premises in the past but the authorities failed to learn a lesson. An LED screen was also stolen from a private bus parked here. And if CCTV cameras would not work properly, then it is a matter of days that theft incidents would increase again. CCTV cameras not only provided security at the bus stand but also kept an eye on thieves and pick-pockets.

If the government has invested in CCTVs to provide better security system at the bus stand, it must also ensure that these cameras function properly, said a group of passengers.

Parveen Kumar, general manager, PRTC, said, “There are a few CCTV cameras which are non-functional at the bus stand, I will ask the officials concerned to get them repaired at the earliest.”